No Safe Place
by KatyBaker
Summary: After Eddie is sexually assaulted and beaten, Jamie makes it his mission to track down the man responsible and get justice for his partner while trying to keep her from falling apart. RATED M FOR SOME SEXUAL CONTENT AND LANGUAGE.
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey, everybody! Welcome to my story! This is my first Blue Bloods story, so be gentle. ;) Chapter two will be coming soon! Please review and thank you for reading!**

DISCLAIMER:

 **I DO NOT OWN BLUE BLOODS OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE**

 **Jamie**

Two days. It had been two days since Jamie had heard from Eddie. She had banged in sick two days in a row, and the knot in Jamie's stomach was getting bigger by the second.

Something was wrong. He knew it.

He called her on and off all day on the first day, and the second it was more frequent. He had left probably thirty voicemails. But now, Jamie was done waiting around. He had to make sure she was okay, and he would break into her apartment if he had to.

The last time she hadn't answered her phone and had banged in sick, Eddie had opened her apartment door to him and her face was covered in nasty bruises and bloody cuts. That bastard Jake Singer had tried to rape her, but Eddie had fought back. He silently prayed as he grabbed his keys and ran out to his car that this wouldn't be a situation as bad as that one was.

For the past few weeks, whenever Jamie and Eddie worked together, Eddie had seemed distant and withdrawn. Whenever Jamie tried to push, Eddie waved him off and gave him an "I'm okay" smile that convinced absolutely nobody.

The drive to Eddie's apartment felt like it took an hour, but in reality it only added up to less than half of that. Jamie's heart pounded as he walked the hallway, and it was beating faster the closer he got to her door. The feeling that something was wrong was with him every single step of the way.

Jamie took a deep breath before raising his fist and knocking lightly on the door, hoping if she was asleep that he wouldn't scare her to death. He heard nothing, so he knocked again, louder this time. The knot in his stomach now felt like a boulder, and his heart pounded painfully against his ribcage. He put his ear to the door, and that was when he heard it.

Whimpering.

That was it. "Eddie!" Jamie yelled, prepared to shove the door open if she didn't answer. "Eddie, it's me. Open up!" But she didn't open up, and the whimpering got louder. That was all the reason he needed. Jamie swiftly shoved his body into the door, and it opened easily.

Eddie's apartment was pitch dark, and it took Jamie's eyes a minute to adjust, but when they did, what he saw turned his blood to ice in his veins. Eddie was laying on the couch, half naked, staring straight ahead, her face drenched in tears and bruises and vicious lacerations. There were bruises and cuts all over her legs and arms, and her hair was matted with something he didn't want to identify. It didn't even _look_ like Eddie.

And she wasn't looking at him. The whimpering had stopped, and she was staring at the wall in front of her, her normally sparkling eyes now wild and haunted. When Jamie finally spoke, it sounded like a bullet in the silence that filled Eddie's apartment. "Eddie? What happened?" He approached her slowly, his hands up, not wanting to alarm her.

 _Something awful had happened_. The look on her face as he got closer chilled him to the bone.

Eddie said nothing, and Jamie finally got close enough to get down on his knees in front of her. Without thinking, he put his hand on her leg, and she jumped a mile with a whimper. He could tell from the look on her face that she'd been through pure hell, and he was determined to find out what had happened.

"Okay, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you," Jamie said, rubbing his hands gently up and down her bruised legs. "Eddie, I need you to tell me what happened."

And just like that, Eddie Janko fell apart in front of him. Her face crumpled and tears came pouring out of her eyes, and she shook her head frantically. Whatever happened had torn her apart, and the thought ignited a rage in him that he hadn't felt since Jake Singer. He wanted to know what had happened, but at the same time, he didn't.

"I'm going to sit beside you, okay?" Jamie stated, and Eddie said nothing once again. She just continued to cry, and Jamie gently dropped down on the couch beside her, scooting enough to the other end that she didn't feel trapped. Eddie's face was buried in between her knees now, and her body shook with her cries. Jamie rubbed her back softly, and she didn't flinch away.

They sat there like that for a bit, with Eddie crying her eyes out and Jamie rubbing her back and whispering to her. Jamie slowly scooted closer, and wrapped one arm around her back as her crying slowed to a whimper, and eventually to nothing at all.

"Eddie, who did this to you?" Jamie asked as silence surrounded them again. He grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around Eddie's shoulders, trying to make her feel less exposed. "Who hurt you?"

Eddie tried to take a deep breath before she finally spoke, and just breathing made her whimper. Jamie jumped and put his hand on her back again. "What hurts?"

"Ribs," Eddie muttered, and her voice was hoarse. She sounded like she'd been screaming for hours, and the thought made Jamie sick. "He tried to kill me."

 _He tried to kill me_. The words bounced around in Jamie's head and a lump formed in his throat. "Who, Eddie? Who tried to kill you?" he asked her quietly but insistently.

"He'll _kill_ me if I say anything. I'm so sorry," Eddie said tearfully, shaking her head.

She unexpectedly dropped her head to Jamie's shoulder, and Jamie put his hand on her head and stroked her hair. "I won't let him hurt you again, but I _need_ you to tell me who it is, Eddie. Please. I want to help you."

Eddie chin quivered, but she finally gave him what he wanted. Her answer was quiet, but it was there. "His name was Brian. I met him after tour Wednesday night."

"Did he…" Jamie couldn't even say the word _rape_. But Eddie knew what he meant, and when her face crumpled again and her head dropped, he knew. Eddie had been raped, and Jamie had never wanted to kill anybody so badly. Not even Jake Singer.

"Eddie, I'm so sorry," was all Jamie could say.

Eddie shook with sobs again, and Jamie gently pulled her into his side. Eventually, the crying stopped again, and Eddie was beginning to doze off in his arms. He knew then it was time to act. "I'm so tired," Eddie muttered, her eyes half-mast.

Jamie stroked her hair and wrapped the blanket tighter around her. "I know you are, but I need you to get dressed. I'm taking you to the hospital."

His statement immediately elicited a "No!" and a whimper from Eddie, and Jamie's hands went to her face, stroking her cheeks gently with his thumbs.

"Eddie, hey. It's okay. It's going to be okay. I promise," Jamie assured her. "I _need_ you to get dressed. I'm taking you to the hospital to get you checked out and have them perform a rape kit."

Eddie shook her head violently as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I can't."

"Yes, you can," Jamie said, stroking her hair. That's when he felt it. There was a bump on the back of Eddie's head so big that he wondered why he hadn't felt it before now. "I'll be with you the whole time. I'm not going anywhere. Okay?"

"It's not too late?" Eddie asked brokenly, but there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

Jamie shook his head and stood up off the couch. "No, it's not. They can recover evidence up to 72 hours after… the attack." _The rape._ Jamie still couldn't say it. "I'm assuming it happened Wednesday night?"

Eddie merely nodded and said, "And into Thursday morning."

Once again, Jamie couldn't speak. He could picture her in her apartment, naked and beaten and bruised, all alone and crying, and it made him sick.

"Let's just get this over with," Eddie said, looking down at the floor as Jamie helped her up off the couch.

Jamie watched his partner carefully. She took four steps, and he was holding onto her elbow for every one of them. He followed her to her bedroom and held her arm to help her keep her balance as she slipped into her sweats. She yanked a t-shirt over her head, but not before Jamie caught sight of the bright red lashes all over her back. She looked like she'd been tortured. He pushed the thought away for now. He couldn't stand to think about what she'd been through, though he knew he'd find out eventually.

Eddie pulled a jacket over her shoulders, flinching from pain as she did so, and she bent over to pull on her shoes when a wave of dizziness hit her, unlike anything she'd ever felt.

Everything went black, and Jamie caught her before she hit the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you all so much for all the love on the last chapter. I appreciate it more than you know. I wasn't sure how good the first chapter was, but you guys made me feel so much more confident, so thank you so much. Enjoy and don't forget to review!**

 **P.S., a HUGE thank you to BlueBlood82 for helping me with a thing or two on this chapter. I appreciate it so much!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWO**

 **Eddie**

The first things Eddie noticed as she awoke were the excruciating pain in her head, the smell of disinfectant, the unfamiliar feeling of another hand holding hers, and the horrible, stabbing pain that resulted from her trying to take a deep breath.

She lifted her heavy eyelids, and immediately she knew she was in a hospital room, and that hand that was holding hers belonged to Jamie. He was sitting in a chair beside her bed, asleep. Even in sleep, he looked rigid, his face pinched with worry. She squeezed his hand as hard as she could, wanting him to wake up and explain what had happened and to comfort her. She had absolutely _no_ idea which hospital she was in or what had happened or what day it was.

Her mind felt completely blank.

Jamie did wake up, almost immediately. The concern in his eyes almost made her cry. He pulled his chair up closer to her bed, and he instantaneously saw the panic and confusion that was written all over her face. "Hey, it's okay," he assured her, even though both of them knew it was definitely _not_ okay. "You're okay."

He silently stroked Eddie's fingers as she took everything in. Her head was killing her, and she reached up to find a huge bandage wrapped all around her forehead. It hurt her so badly to breathe that she _knew_ her ribs were broken. There were bruises and lacerations all over her legs and arms, and that alone made her sick to her stomach. And there was an ache in her pelvis and stomach that she couldn't ignore.

"What happened?" she asked Jamie tearfully. She had never felt so lost and confused in her entire life. No matter how bad it was, she needed to know what had happened. At all costs. She remembered Brian and him being at her apartment. But that was all. Everything else was a huge void, a black hole.

All she knew was something awful had happened.

Jamie, fighting the urge to reach up and wipe her tears, said, "I went to your apartment yesterday to check on you since you'd banged in sick two days in a row. I was worried. When I got there, you were half naked, sitting on your couch, crying. You wouldn't say anything to me at first, but when you finally did talk, you eventually said 'he tried to kill me'."

Jamie paused for a moment, letting her take all of that in before he continued. Eddie was feeling so many emotions that it was difficult to identify them all. She felt heartbreak, confusion, a little bit of happiness because she was alive, but mainly, she felt pure fear.

Eddie nodded, signaling that Jamie could go on. "I finally got a name out of you. Brian. You said you'd met him after tour on Wednesday." Jamie took a deep breath and looked down at the floor as he spoke. "I asked you if he had… if he had sexually assaulted you, and I got the impression that he had. I'm so sorry, Eddie." He ran a hand over his face, looking as distraught as Eddie did.

Eddie knew that she had been sexually assaulted. That was the one thing she hadn't forgotten, as much as she wished she had. But she knew she had to come clean with Jamie about one thing. "Jamie, I lied. I didn't just meet Brian after tour Wednesday. He—"

Eddie was cut off as a tall brunette woman in a lab coat entered the room, looking Eddie over. "Eddie, you're awake. I'm Dr. Coleman. How do you feel?" the doctor asked, and Eddie looked at Jamie apologetically, exchanging a look that promised she'd finish her story later.

Eddie shrugged, slightly irate at the interruption. Truthfully, she didn't know how she felt. "I feel okay, I guess," she answered, staring down at the floor.

"Well, Eddie, you were very lucky," the doctor said, pulling a stool over next to Eddie's bed and plopping herself down, staring at a paper on a clipboard in her hands.

Eddie let out a humorless laugh, shaking her head. "I don't feel very lucky," she commented, fighting the urge to roll her eyes.

Dr. Coleman just smiled, showing her ridiculously perfect teeth. Eddie got the feeling that the doctor didn't really find what she said amusing. "You came away alive from what was certainly a vicious attack," Dr. Coleman said, crossing her legs and giving Eddie the once-over.

 _No shit_ , Eddie thought, trying with every ounce of her being not to say it out loud. "How did I even get here?" Eddie asked, realizing that she had no idea how she wound up here, in whatever hospital she was in. Yet another thing that she couldn't piece together.

"Well, your friend here," the doctor motioned to Jamie, "was going to take you to the hospital himself, but then you passed out at your apartment, so he called 911. He did the right thing."

Eddie squeezed Jamie's hand and gave him a grateful smile. He gave her a breathtaking smile back and looked down at their hands.

"Did he fill you in on the injuries you suffered?" the doctor asked, interrupting the moment they were having, earning an irritated stare from Eddie.

In response, Eddie shook her head a little too quickly, apparently, resulting in a sharp pain radiating from the top of her head to the base of her skull. The doctor continued anyway, despite the worried look from Jamie. "You have one of the most severe concussions I've ever seen in all my years, which is why you'll have to be very closely monitored when you're released." The doctor eyed Jamie as she said this. "Your wrist is fractured. Your lung collapsed, but we repaired it. You have nine broken ribs, a massive gash on your head, and…" The doctor trailed off, and the look on her face told Eddie what was coming.

"I was raped, I know," Eddie filled in, the words sounding foreign and strange as they left her lips. "When will the rape kit be performed?" Eddie looked over at Jamie. His face was ashen, and he looked like he was about to throw up, which in turn made _her_ want to throw up.

Even Dr. Coleman looked a bit uncomfortable. "Here in a couple of hours if you're up for it." _Who the hell is ever up for something like that?_ Eddie thought, irritated by the doctor's phrasing.

Eddie just nodded, chewing the skin on her lips, her eyes filled with tears. Jamie was thankful when Dr. Coleman said nothing else and, instead, rose from her stool and jotted down some numbers from the monitor next to Eddie's bed.

"When will she be able to go home?" Jamie asked just as Dr. Coleman was about to leave the room.

"We're keeping her overnight and if nothing else comes up, if there aren't any complications, she can go home tomorrow night." The doctor gave Eddie a nod and a smile. "Press the call button if you need anything. The nurses will be back to give you more pain meds at 3:00." And with that, the doctor left the room, leaving Jamie and Eddie alone.

The two were silent for a few moments before Eddie spoke, a look of confusion on her face. "What time is it? How long have I been here? I don't even…" Eddie trailed off, her voice bordering on hysterical.

Jamie checked his watch. "It's 2:15pm on Saturday. You've been here since Friday night." He took a deep breath, leaning forward and putting his hand on Eddie's shoulder. "I promise you, Eddie, you're _going_ to be okay."

Eddie gave him another grateful smile and went quiet again for a few minutes, calming down as the seconds passed. This time, it was Jamie that broke the silence. "What were you saying earlier when the doctor interrupted?"

Eddie pulled her hand from Jamie's and began picking at her nails, a nervous habit. "I lied. Brian isn't somebody I just met after tour Wednesday. He's an ex of mine, one that I wanted to stay far, far away from." She looked up at Jamie, expecting to see an expression of anger on his face and instead seeing one of concern. "He found me, though. I don't know how, but he did."

"Eddie, look at me," Jamie said, finally getting her to meet his eyes. Hers were full of fear. "He'll never hurt you again. I promise you that."

Eddie nodded with tear-filled eyes, thinking deep down that Jamie may be no match for Brian if he ever came back.

* * *

A nurse whose nametag read TARA came in and gave Eddie more pain medicine through her IV a little after 3:00. For the next hour and a half, Eddie watched Jamie pace back and forth, and if he wasn't pacing, he was looking at her as though she just might fall apart before his eyes.

The nurse named Tara came when the clock on the wall said 4:32pm, and Eddie knew it was time. Tara helped her into the wheelchair she'd brought to the room and had her sign the consent form for the rape kit. Jamie asked if she wanted him to go with her, and as much as she did, she shook her head no. She didn't want him there for what she was sure would be the most humiliating experience of her entire life.

Jamie nodded and gave her a gentle smile as Tara wheeled her to the door. "I'll be right here when you get back." Eddie gave him a weak smile in return and Tara closed the door behind them.

Eddie was right in her assumption that this process would be the most humiliating experience of her life. What she couldn't possibly have prepared herself for was the excruciating pain. They swabbed her in all the places he had touched at some point Wednesday night, and she felt like she was on fire. They collected urine, blood, and hair samples, the clothes Eddie had been wearing, and fingernail scrapings. They took pictures of all of her bruising and lacerations, including the deep gashes on Eddie's back where Brian had hit her with something she couldn't identify.

The testing felt like it drug on for days, and when Eddie finally got back up to her room at around 7:30pm, Jamie was there, just like he said he would be. He was sitting beside her bed but his chair was turned sideways, and he was looking out the window at the rain, only coming out of his daze when he heard the door to her room open and close.

Jamie turned and assessed her as she climbed back into bed, his eyes worried. "Hey. You alright?" he asked, even though he knew she most definitely was _not_ alright.

Eddie shrugged, wincing a little as she settled herself underneath the scratchy blanket. "It hurt. A lot," she said truthfully, picking at her nails and refusing to meet his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Eddie," Jamie said with a shake of his head. She stole a sideways glance at him, and he was looking down at the floor. He looked ashamed, as if any of this was his fault.

"What the hell do you have to be sorry for?" Eddie asked, fiddling with her IV tubing as she spoke.

Jamie was quiet for a moment, thinking. "I'm just sorry that any of this ever happened to you. That _he_ happened to you. You haven't told me anything else about him, and you don't have to if you don't want to. But if you ever do, if you need to talk about _anything_ , I'm here." He reached forward and put his hand on Eddie's arm, and she could have sworn she saw moisture in his blue eyes.

"Thank you," she said as she reached up and squeezed Jamie's hand as hard as she could. She knew that if any of the bosses came in and saw them like that, they would no longer be partners, but it didn't make Eddie let go of Jamie's hand.

They just sat like that for a minute, Jamie's hand on Eddie's shoulder, Eddie's hand on top of his.

* * *

 **Jamie**

Tara came back to give Eddie more pain medicine at 8:00pm, and she was out cold shortly after. Jamie just sat there, listening to the rain and watching Eddie sleep, her face troubled even then. He sat like that for an hour or so before deciding to take a minute to go get some coffee, go to the restroom and call Danny.

He stepped out into the hallway, leaving Eddie's door open a bit so if she woke up she would know he'd just stepped out for a minute. After he got coffee from the machine down the hall, he dialed Danny's number, wanting to know when him and Baez would be back to talk to Eddie. They had come to talk to her right after she'd been admitted, and Jamie had told them she wasn't up for talking yet, which was the truth. She'd been a complete and utter wreck and, truthfully, so had Jamie.

 _"Jamie?"_ Danny answered, sounding out of breath. _"How's Eddie?"_

"She's okay," Jamie said, taking a seat out in the hallway. "They just did the rape kit and she's sleeping now. When will you guys be back to talk to her?"

 _"Whenever she's up for it. We need to get a jump on this guy. When will she be allowed to go home?"_

"They said that if there are no complications, she can go home tomorrow maybe. Either way, she's got a long road ahead of her, that's for sure." _And I'm going to be there for her through it all,_ Jamie thought, although he wouldn't dare say that to Danny, who knew that he looked at her as far more than just a partner at work.

Danny sighed on the other end of the line. _"Alright. Baez and I will be there to talk to her tomorrow so she has time to rest tonight."_

Jamie thanked Danny and they hung up. After finishing his coffee and going to the bathroom, Jamie returned to Eddie's room, expecting to see her still sound asleep. Instead, what he saw stopped him dead in his tracks.

Eddie, still in bed, seizing violently, her eyes rolled back in her head. Jamie called out into the hallway and within moments, there were nurses flooding Eddie's hospital room, Dr. Coleman right behind them.

* * *

 **Cliffhanger! You're welcome. Thank you for reading and don't forget to review!**

 **NEXT CHAPTER: Eddie faces more awful repercussions of the attack, and Danny and Baez come to question her. Will Eddie get to go home?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Jamie**

Jamie watched as a nurse administered Ativan into Eddie's IV and another one turned Eddie onto her side and held her head still until she stopped shaking, her hands falling limp at her sides. The nurse named Tara motioned to Jamie that he could come back into the room, a look of sympathy on her face that he was sure was because his own face was filled with complete and utter terror.

He had seen people have seizures before, usually an overdosing perp but occasionally a victim. When it was someone you cared about – and, truthfully, loved – it was something else entirely. Seeing Eddie like that, with her eyes rolled back in her head and her hands postured, ignited a fear in him that he'd never felt before and shook him to his core.

Immediately, he'd started imagining all the possibilities of the cause of the seizure, all of them awful but some worse than others. Concussion. A blood clot. Intracranial bleeding. A brain infection…

Every single possibility terrified him.

When Eddie opened her eyes, the fear in them was beyond heartbreaking. She looked around the room, which was now occupied only by Tara, Dr. Coleman, and Jamie, and it was obvious that she was extremely disoriented.

"Eddie, can you hear me?" Dr. Coleman said, standing above Eddie and raising the head of her bed.

Eddie merely nodded, and it was a moment before she spoke. "What happened? My head hurts." She put her shaking fingers to her temple. "Where's Jamie?"

"Jamie is right here. I'll leave you two alone," the doctor said, patting Eddie's arm. "The medicine we put in your IV will make you very sleepy, so try to sleep if you can. I'll be back to check on you in a little while." And with that, the doctor slipped out of the room, followed closely by Tara.

Jamie stepped up next to Eddie's bed, letting her take his hand in hers. "What happened?" she asked again, and Jamie could feel her hand still shaking.

He stroked her fingers as he spoke, hoping to comfort her a little and that his words wouldn't panic her too much. "You had a seizure. I stepped out to get some coffee and call Danny, and when I came back, you were seizing."

Eddie seemed to think about that for a minute, chewing the skin on her lips again, her eyebrows furrowed. "I'm so tired and my head hurts," she said once she finally spoke.

Jamie, without thinking, reached out and brushed a piece of blonde hair out of Eddie's eyes, his fingers lingering on her forehead for a split second. "Try to rest. I'm going to step out and ask Dr. Coleman some questions, and I'll be right back."

Eddie just nodded and closed her eyes, and Jamie squeezed her shoulder lightly before stepping out into the hallway again. Dr. Coleman was on a computer just outside Eddie's room, and Jamie called her name quietly so as not to scare her. She looked up and rose from the office chair she was sitting in, holding a clipboard in her hands.

"I'm sure you have a few questions about what happened in there," she said, motioning to Eddie's room. Jamie nodded, and she continued. "Eddie has no history of seizures that we have charted here. I'm almost positive that the seizure is from the severe head trauma she endured. Truthfully, I've never seen head trauma so severe and I've been a doctor in this field for seventeen years." The doctor pursed her lips, staring down at her clipboard.

"So where do we go from here?" Jamie asked.

"I'll run another MRI on her as soon as possible, make sure there isn't a bleed in her brain that was somehow missed the first time." The doctor jotted something down on her clipboard and then looked up at Jamie sympathetically. "Try not to worry, Jamie. Just be with your girlfriend and try to get some rest yourself."

"Oh, Eddie's not my girlfriend—" Jamie began, shaking his head.

"Whatever you say," Dr. Coleman interrupted, winking at Jamie. "I'll be back to check on her in a bit. It will take a while for her to be less fatigued after the Ativan, so don't be surprised if she's out a couple more hours." Jamie just nodded, and with that, the doctor turned and walked away.

Dumbfounded, Jamie just stood there for a moment, shaking his head before walking back into Eddie's room. Surprisingly, she was awake. She looked out of it, but she was awake nonetheless.

"What did the doc say?" Eddie asked, her voice rough.

Jamie sat down in the chair beside Eddie's bed, trying to wipe the worry off his face so she wouldn't be scared. "She said that your seizure was most likely caused by your head injury, but they're going to do an MRI on you as soon as possible to be sure there isn't a bleed in your brain." To his relief, Eddie merely nodded. "Are you in any pain?"

"My head is killing me and it's excruciating to take a deep breath," Eddie replied with a shrug. She looked so sad.

"Well, you have broken ribs, which collapsed one of your lungs. And your head was nearly bashed in. So it's not surprising that you're hurting," Jamie said, "but you're going to be okay." He gave her a reassuring nod, and Eddie gave him something remotely resembling a smile.

They were silent for a few minutes, both of them listening to the rain that was still falling outside, before Eddie spoke. "You don't have to stay here with me, you know. I'll be fine by myself."

Jamie scoffed like what she said was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard before turning serious. "Eddie, I'm your partner. We have each other's backs. If you're hurt or scared or sick, I'm here for you, no matter what. And I know you're here for me, too."

Eddie nodded, looking like she might burst into tears. Jamie lowered the guard rail on the side of her hospital bed and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently.

"Jamie?" Eddie said, her voice sounding small, like a child's. So far from the feisty girl Jamie knew and, yes, loved.

"Yeah?"

Eddie sniffled and Jamie looked up to see her blue eyes shining with unshed tears. "I just want to go home. I want to forget all of this but I don't know if I'll ever be able to." Tears finally spilled out of Eddie's eyes and down her cheeks, and Jamie, without thinking, reached up and wiped them away, his fingers lingering on her bruised cheekbone.

"Probably not," he began, "but it will get easier to deal with. And I'll be right here with you, partner." He gave Eddie a breathtaking smile, and she gave him one right back. She looked exhausted, the bags under her eyes blending in with the horrible bruising on her face. "Why don't you try to sleep? I'll be right here."

Eddie nodded, scooching down in the bed and pulling the covers up. Jamie lowered the head of her bed again, and she was asleep just minutes after closing her eyes.

She'd fallen asleep still holding Jamie's hand.

* * *

 **Eddie**

Eddie's sleep was, once again, plagued by horrific nightmares, all of them about Brian except one. One of them was about Jake Singer, the man who had sexually assaulted her a year earlier because she'd refused to have sex with him. Both of them monsters, monsters who had each damaged Eddie more than anybody could comprehend.

Eddie awoke as an awful, animalistic scream ripped from her throat, and Jamie was right there. He had the guard rail lowered and was sitting on the edge of her bed within seconds, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his chest.

"Shhh, it's alright," he crooned, pressing his lips to the top of her head. "I'm here and you're okay. You're okay, I promise." Eddie turned and pressed her face into her partner's chest, tears dripping from her cheeks and onto his sweatshirt.

After he was sure she'd calmed down, Jamie moved back over to the chair by Eddie's bed but kept hold of her hand, stroking her fingers with his. She'd found that him stroking her fingers calmed her, far more than Jamie probably knew. She held tight to his hand and wiped her cheeks with her other hand, feeling slightly humiliated.

"Wanna talk about it?" Jamie asked, studying Eddie's face a little too closely for her liking. She had never felt so hideous in her entire life.

Eddie merely shrugged. "It was just a nightmare, but this time, it was about Jake Singer. I haven't had a nightmare about him in so long… I guess all of this with Brian just brought everything with Jake up again."

Jamie stared down at their hands, his on top of hers. He was shaking his head as he spoke. "You've been through far too much in the couple years, Eddie. I hate it. I hate so much to watch you hurt and see you so scared."

Eddie didn't know what to say, so she just wrapped her hand around Jamie's and held on tight. They just sat there after that, neither saying a thing, only listening to the sound of the rain once again. Eventually, Eddie fell back to sleep, and this time, it was dreamless. Little did she know at the time, Jamie fell asleep, too, slumped over in the chair beside her bed.

Much to Eddie's dismay, Tara showed up about an hour and a half later with the stupid wheelchair again, ready to take her for an MRI. They left Jamie sleeping, and when the MRI was done and they got back to Eddie's room, he was still out cold. Eddie couldn't stop thinking about how damn cute he looked, slumped over in that hideous chair, his lips pursed in what looked like a pout.

Knowing the MRI results wouldn't be in until the morning, Tara gave Eddie one more dose of pain medicine and something to help her sleep. Eddie was brought a tray of food that looked inedible, but she ate a little of it anyway. She was out cold an hour later, sleeping dreamlessly once again.

* * *

 **Jamie**

Jamie had the task of waking Eddie every three hours and asking her simple questions, like her name and birthday. He set an alarm on his phone and every time he had to wake Eddie up, she acted like she was about to cry. He knew she needed rest, but he also knew it was important to make sure the head injury wasn't impacting her worse than they thought.

Finally, the morning came, and Eddie was groggy but seemed less out of it than the day before. She was given a dose of pain medicine at 8:30am and their usual nurse brought in a tray of food that, to Jamie, looked absolutely disgusting. Eddie had a serious attitude about it (frankly, he didn't blame her) and picked at it for an hour before the nurse finally took it away, leaving Eddie hungry and beyond cranky. Jamie promised to go get her a cheeseburger from one of their favorite places, planning to shower, too, while he was out.

Dr. Coleman came in at around 10:00, and the look on her face was somber. Jamie's heart started pounding in his chest. "Well, Eddie, I have your MRI results, and things are worse than we thought. A concussion is classified as a minor brain injury, and from what I'm seeing here, your head injury is certainly not minor."

"How bad is it?" Eddie asked, looking like she just might faint. Jamie reached over and gently squeezed her knee, giving her a smile that made her forget her name.

The doctor flipped a page on her clipboard, her lips pursed. "I'm classifying it now as a moderate traumatic brain injury. If you don't have more symptoms, I'll release you this evening. This level of injury can cause unconsciousness, so Jamie or somebody will need to be with you for the first few days you're home."

Jamie nodded, looking at Eddie and seeing the worry in her face. "What other symptoms do we need to look out for?"

Dr. Coleman began to rattle off symptoms, each one of them scaring Jamie and Eddie a little more. "More seizures or convulsions, loss of consciousness from several minutes to hours, a persistent headache, repeated nausea or vomiting, unusual dilation of one or both pupils, weakness or numbness in fingers and toes, and loss of coordination are the main ones you'll need to look out for."

When Jamie nor Eddie said anything, the doctor continued. "You'll also need to watch out for emotional changes, such as depression, anxiety, mood swings, irritability, lack of empathy, anger, and insomnia, even though a lot of these could be a result of what happened to you, Eddie. Just don't be afraid to talk to Jamie or someone else you're close to, about anything. You're not alone."

Eddie nodded, looking ashen, her eyes wide and haunted. "Thank you, Doctor."

Dr. Coleman nodded politely, tucking her clipboard under her arm. "My pleasure, Eddie. Tara will be back in to give you another dose of pain medicine around lunchtime, and I'll start working on your discharge paperwork." With a warm smile, the doctor left the room, closing the door behind her.

Eddie just sat there, saying absolutely nothing. Jamie knew she was going to a much darker place, and he wanted desperately to pull her out of it. "What kind of burger do you want?" he said, nudging her arm.

Eddie didn't look at him, but she responded. "A bacon cheeseburger, please. With extra bacon."

"Fries and a Coke?"

Finally, Eddie met his eyes and gave him a semblance of a smile. "Yes, please. But Jamie, I'm _begging_ you to go home and rest for a while first. I'll be okay until then." She was begging him with her eyes, and it really drove her point home when she reached over and traced the bags that had formed under his eyes with her finger. His skin tingled at the contact. "You're exhausted. If you're not going to go to work because of me, at least take care of yourself."

Jamie pursed his lips and sighed, standing finally and stretching before sliding his arms into his jacket. "Alright. You win. I'm going to go home for a while and shower, then I'll be back with your food. Try not to miss me too much."

Eddie cracked a smile and said, "Alright, I'll try."

He threw her a smile back before walking out of the room, leaving the door open a crack behind him.

* * *

 **Eddie**

Jamie had been gone for nearly two hours when Eddie's door opened and Renzulli walked in, carrying flowers and immediately looking at her like she might crack.

"How you feeling, kid?" Renzulli asked, setting the flowers on the windowsill and taking a seat in what she had dubbed Jamie's chair. "Jamie said you took quite the beating."

Eddie plastered on a fake smile and nodded. "Yeah, I guess he did. My ribs are broken and I have what they call a moderate traumatic brain injury. It's worse than a concussion. I had a seizure yesterday apparently." Eddie picked at her nails as she spoke, making one of her fingers bleed.

The look on Renzulli's face was of pure sympathy. Eddie had always liked Renzulli, and she would trust him with her life. "I'm so sorry, kid. I just wanted to let you know that even after you're cleared for duty, you take as long as you need. And you let _any_ of us know if you need anything." To Eddie's surprise, Renzulli bent down and kissed Eddie's head.

"Thank you, Sergeant," Eddie said, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. Renzulli patted her leg gently and left the room, giving her a smile on his way out.

Alone again, Eddie's eyes immediately fell on her cell phone, which hadn't been touched since Thursday night. Ever since she'd woken up on that first day, Eddie had been terrified to look at it, afraid that she would see calls from Brian, from the son of a bitch that put her in the hospital in the first place. She wouldn't dare tell Jamie this, not yet, but Brian had been stalking her for a few weeks, calling her constantly and sending her creepy letters. She had kept all of it, though, as evidence to turn over to the police.

With shaky fingers, she reached for her cell phone, clicking the home button. It was at six percent battery, and a message icon flashed on the screen. Eddie's heart dropped into her stomach and she thought she just might throw up. Trying to keep her composure, she clicked on the message, and what popped up confirmed her fears. The time stamp said the text was sent at 8:06 that morning:

 _Surely you didn't think you'd gotten rid of me so easily. I know where you sleep. Remember that._

Eddie fought the urge to scream at the top of her lungs. Instead, she dialed Jamie's number, praying to whatever god there was that he would answer. And he did, on the third ring.

"Eddie, you alright?" he answered, sounding a little breathless.

Eddie tried her hardest to keep the terror out of her voice. It didn't work. "Jamie, he texted me," she said frantically, her voice wavering.

She didn't have to clarify who she was talking about; Jamie knew immediately. "What?" Jamie practically shouted, and she could hear what sounded like a car door slamming. "Eddie, I'm almost there. I have your food and I'm on my way to you now. Don't delete the text."

"I won't," Eddie said, her eyes filled with tears. And with that, she hung up, putting the phone on the table by her bed.

Within ten minutes, Jamie was running through the door, his cheeks flushed and his breathing fast. Immediately, Eddie unlocked her phone and handed it to him, watching his face as he read the text. His face was ashen, and she was sure hers was, too.

As she sat there, Eddie began imagining all of the scenarios that could very well happen if Brian found her, and before she knew it, the monitor beside her bed was beeping rapidly, and Jamie was standing over her, his eyes wide.

"Eddie, I need you to calm down. Your blood pressure is rising," Jamie said, pulling up his chair as close as he could get to her bed. He put one hand on her shoulder and one on her knee, rubbing soothing circles.

She calmed eventually, enough to have a conversation without crying or screaming or both. Jamie stepped out into the hallway to call Danny and fill him in, and he was back in the room within a minute. "Danny and Baez will come talk to you once you're released later. And Eddie, you're coming to my place instead of yours. I'll go with you to pick up some of your stuff, whatever it is you need, but I can't let you go home after what that asshole said in that text."

Eddie pursed her lips and looked away from him, peeved and homesick and so overwhelmed. "Jamie, I'll be fine at my apartment. I'm sure he knows somebody will be watching the place. I'll be okay." But truthfully, she wasn't so sure.

"Eddie, seriously," Jamie began, sounding slightly exasperated. "When I got here, you were shaking like a leaf. That text terrified you. I've never seen you so scared." His voice sounded exasperated, but his face was full of nothing but concern.

Eddie was silent for a minute, once again picking at her nails until her nail beds were bloody. "Whatever, Jamie," she said finally, cringing at how bitchy she sounded. "I'll stay at your house for a few days, but that's it. I can't let him control my life and take my home away from me because I'm so scared to go back."

Jamie merely nodded in understanding, dropping the subject for the time being, and handed her bag containing her food. "Eat and try your best to relax. I'm going to go check on the status of your discharge paperwork."

"Thank you, Jamie," Eddie said with a smile, all traced of attitude gone from her voice. He nodded and smiled before stepping out into the hallway. When he got back, it was with Dr. Coleman closely behind him, holding a thick stack of papers.

"Alright, Eddie," the doctor began, handing Eddie the papers, "I'm releasing you, but you _have_ to take it easy. No going back to work for a while, and you _cannot_ constantly be up and moving about, not for a week or so. I've recommended to Jamie here that he keep a close eye on you, and if you have any of the symptoms I mentioned earlier, he's to bring you back here immediately. Okay?"

Eddie nodded, feeling a bit giddy to be leaving. She felt like she'd been in that hospital for weeks, not just two days and, even though she had to go to Jamie's house instead of hers, she was ecstatic just to be leaving at all.

"For the first two weeks she's home," Dr. Coleman continued, "she needs to be woken up every three hours and asked simple things like what her name is, just like you've been doing here. I would like to reiterate that it's _extremely_ important to watch for behavioral changes also, not just physical symptoms."

The doctor proceeded to hand Eddie the aftercare instructions and something to sign, as well as prescriptions for painkillers, an anti-inflammatory, and something to help her sleep. After everything was covered, Jamie helped Eddie into the wheelchair and made sure she had everything she'd come there with.

The minute they thanked Dr. Coleman and checked out, Eddie felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. With Jamie, she felt safe and protected, even though she would never admit it to him.

The rain had stopped and the sky was now a beautiful blue, adding to Eddie's increasingly better mood. Jamie helped her from the wheelchair into the front seat of his car, reminding her fifty times to watch her head. The further from the hospital they got, the better Eddie felt. She even felt like maybe, just maybe, they might catch Brian and everything might _actually_ be okay.

Little did she know, the son of a bitch was just getting started.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

 **Jamie**

After leaving the hospital, Jamie and Eddie immediately went to the pharmacy to pick up Eddie's new medications before driving back to Eddie's apartment to get her things. The drive was quiet; Eddie had taken one of the new pain pills, and Jamie could see her starting to fade. She looked exhausted. She was turned towards him in her seat, her temple against the headrest. Her eyes were starting to close, and soon she was sound asleep.

Jamie left her to sleep until they got to her apartment. After he put the car in park, he sat there, the engine on, just allowing Eddie a few more minutes of sleep before they had to go up and look at her apartment, look at where Eddie had nearly lost her life. He had no doubt that Brian would have killed her if she hadn't fought back, and that thought made him sick.

Before he could get too deep into his thoughts, he put his hand on Eddie's knee and she startled awake, eyes wide, searching for a threat. "Easy, easy," he soothed, reaching a finger up to stroke her cheek. "It's okay. It's just me. You fell asleep and we're at your apartment." She calmed almost immediately. His finger lingered on her cheekbone for a second. "You ready to go in?"

Eddie nodded and swiftly unbuckled her seatbelt. "As ready as I'll ever be, I guess."

"You know, Eddie, you don't _have_ to go in if you don't want to. Just tell me what you need and where it is and I'll bring it out to you," Jamie offered, even knowing she wouldn't take him up on it.

"No, I need to do this. If I don't now, I never will," Eddie said adamantly, slowly opening the door and climbing out of the car.

Jamie followed closely behind her, and he was just a couple feet away when she wobbled on her feet, her arms shooting out to her sides to help catch her balance. Jamie was by her side in seconds, his hands on her shoulders. "Whoa. You okay?" he asked, looking into her eyes, which looked glazed over.

Eddie nodded, but she didn't look so sure. "I'm okay. I just feel a little light-headed. I'm fine. Let's go." She jabbed a thumb in the direction of her apartment building. "I'm ready to get this over with."

Jamie nodded in understanding and they walked, his arm remaining around her waist, just in case. Climbing the stairs up to Eddie's floor was a bitch for her in the condition she was in, and it physically pained Jamie to watch her heave, out of breath, with her hand to her chest. He offered once again to go up and get her stuff for her, but she declined once again.

When they finally got to Eddie's apartment door, she was breathing like she'd just run a marathon, and she looked terrified. She had chewed her lip to the point that it was bloody, exactly like she'd done to her fingernails, he'd noticed. As they stood in front of her door, Eddie dipped a hand in her bag and pulled out her keys.

Jamie watched with a racing heart as she unlocked the door with trembling fingers but stopped her just as she was about to go in. "Would you kill me if I asked you to wait out in the hallway while I clear your apartment?" She hit him with a look that said _seriously?_ and he quickly followed it with, "Eddie, I just want to make sure the asshole didn't come back and is hiding in your apartment, waiting on you to come home."

For a second, Eddie looked like she might cry. Her lower lip trembled and her nostrils flared. But no tears came, only a hesitant nod. Jamie took that as his cue and entered her apartment, pulling his weapon from the holster on his hip, making sure not to close the front door behind him.

The first thing Jamie noticed was the incredibly obvious sign of a struggle that he hadn't been able to see in the dark when he'd found her Friday night. There were clothes and broken glass strewn everywhere, and he stopped looking too closely after he saw a huge streak of blood leading up to the couch he'd found her on. He knew it would do him no good to look at that blood and think about how it had gotten there. Careful not to touch anything, Jamie cleared the kitchen and living room first and then moved on to the rest of the apartment, moving as quickly as he could so Eddie could get in and get what she wanted and they could leave.

When he'd cleared the apartment and returned to the hallway, he found Eddie leaned against the wall, staring straight ahead and chewing on her fingernails (or what was left of them). "Is it clear, Officer?" she said sarcastically, pushing off the wall and past him into the apartment.

The scene inside the apartment seemed to hit Eddie like a ton of bricks, just like Jamie had been afraid it would. She was in tears within seconds, and Jamie could tell she was fighting the urge to turn around and run out the front door and never come back.

"Are you _sure_ you don't want to tell me where your stuff is and I'll get it for you?" Jamie offered again, and Eddie was once again shaking her head before he could even finish the sentence. He merely nodded understandingly and put his hand on the small of her back, gently ushering her forward.

"Are you sure it's okay for us to even be in here? Isn't this technically a crime scene?" Eddie asked, walking in front of him to her bedroom, where she immediately dropped to the floor and lifted the mattress with her good hand.

"I checked with Danny," Jamie assured her, holding the mattress for her while she stuck a hand under it. "He said it was okay as long as we just got your stuff and left." Jamie watched as a panicked look crossed Eddie's face. "What's wrong?"

"It's not fucking here," Eddie said, frustration apparent in her tone.

"What's not here?"

"Goddammit. The records. The records of the calls and all the letters, they were here and now they're not!" Eddie's voice was bordering on hysterical, and Jamie felt panic building inside of him.

Jamie almost told her to calm down but he valued his life and decided against it. "They have to be here," he said, even though they both knew they weren't there, and they both knew who had taken them. "Do you think…?"

He didn't even have to finish his sentence. Eddie had the same thought, he could tell, and she looked beyond terrified. He was scared himself, but he wouldn't show it. "That son of a bitch," Eddie muttered, shaking her head.

Jamie chose his words carefully before he spoke, hoping not to scare her even worse than she already was. "Now we _know_ he's been back here. Just get whatever it is you need and let's get out of here." _In case he comes back_ , he thought silently, knowing better than to say it out loud.

Eddie just nodded and rose to her feet. Jamie watched as she went to her closet and pulled out a bag, haphazardly shoving necessities in. He just stood watching her with his arms crossed, waiting patiently.

What he couldn't see were the tears streaming down her face as she packed. 

* * *

**Eddie**

The cold air outside hit Jamie and Eddie like a ton of bricks as they exited her apartment building. They were silent as they walked to Jamie's car, Jamie carrying Eddie's bag for her, much to her dismay. As they settled into Jamie's Mustang and he turned the car on, Eddie blew into her hands to warm them until hot air finally came out of the vents.

"Are you hungry?" Jamie asked as he pulled away from the curb.

Food was the last thing on her mind. Truthfully, she just wanted to get back to Jamie's apartment and go to sleep. "No," she said simply. "Just tired."

"Okay. I can get you something when we get back to my place if you get hungry."

Eddie just nodded and closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the headrest. She was sure this sudden exhaustion was a combination of the pain medicine and being in the warm car with Jamie, where she knew she was safe.

Next thing Eddie knew, somebody was saying her name and shaking her shoulder. She jolted awake, calming the minute she saw that it was Jamie. "It's okay," Jamie assured her. "We're in front of my building. You fell asleep in the car."

Eddie nodded and sat up, unbuckling her seatbelt and grabbing her bag out of the backseat, despite Jamie insisting he would carry it. She had one hell of a headache, and the sunlight that hit her when she climbed out of the car was blinding. She felt like she was dragging her feet as her and Jamie walked into the warmth of his building.

"Thank _God_ there's a damn elevator," Eddie grumbled, earning an amused smile from Jamie as he pushed the elevator button and the door opened.

Jamie watched her closely as she pushed two fingers to her left temple, his eyebrows knitting together in a way that she'd always found rather cute. "You okay?" he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She nodded, giving him some semblance of a smile. "Just a bad headache. And I need a nap and a shower."

Jamie nodded, still looking cute and concerned. "Well, as soon as Danny and Baez leave, you can take the longest nap in the world," he said as the elevator opened to his floor.

Jamie's apartment was warm and inviting, especially after being in her own apartment and seeing what a disaster it was. Jamie immediately made her sit down on the couch, and she didn't argue.

"Your apartment feels more like home than mine does right now," Eddie said sadly, sinking down into the sofa.

Jamie gave her a sad smile in return, only breaking eye contact with her when his phone _ding_ ed and he pulled it out of his pocket. "Danny said they'll be here in ten."

And they were. Not even quite ten minutes later, there was a knock at the door, and before Eddie knew it, Danny and Baez were sitting across from her. The looks of sympathy on both of their faces were making Eddie uncomfortable.

"First, we just want to say we're so sorry this happened to you," Baez said, smiling sadly at her.

"Thank you," Eddie said awkwardly, giving something that was meant to look like a reassuring smile but probably looked more like a grimace. "Just ask me whatever it is you want to ask me. I'm okay."

Jamie brought all of them a cup of coffee and sat down beside Eddie. She was grateful for his presence and felt calmed by it.

"Thanks," Danny said, taking a sip of his coffee. "Alright, Eddie. What is the name of the guy who attacked you? Jamie mentioned that you knew him?"

"Brian Yates." Eddie pictured his face in her head as she said his name and shivered a bit.

Danny wrote something down on a pad of paper in his lap. "And how do you know him?"

 _Here we go_ , Eddie thought, cringing as she thought about those first couple years with Brian. "I dated him for three years in my mid twenties. He got violent after about a year and a half, and I was terrified to break up with him. After I finally did, he threatened me constantly. I had to change my number too many times to count, and finally the threats stopped. They started again about five weeks ago, because somehow, he found out where I lived and got my number. He started sending me letters and calling me constantly."

"And do you have records of the calls and letters?" Danny asked, writing as he spoke.

Eddie exchanged a look with Jamie, who was silent. "I did. I had them hidden under my mattress as of Thursday night. I made sure to hide them, but when Jamie and I went back this afternoon to get my things, they were gone." Eddie shook her head, tears stinging her eyes. This all seemed so surreal.

Danny's head snapped up, but it was Baez who spoke. "So he's been back to your apartment since the attack?"

Eddie nodded, a tear escaping her right eye. She quickly wiped it away. "I guess so. I do still have a few of the calls on the call log on my cell phone." She fished her cell phone out of her sweatpants pocket with her good hand and unlocked it. Then, she remembered something. "You know, he _did_ send me a text while I was in the hospital."

"More like another threat," Jamie added, jaw clenched. "I was out getting her something to eat and she called me in tears, saying Brian had texted her." Jamie was shaking his head as he spoke, as if trying to make the memory disappear like an Etch-A-Sketch. She wished she could erase all her memories and his, too, of the awful last few days.

Without hesitating, Eddie handed her phone over to Danny, watching as he read the text and scanned through the calls. "Did he ever say anything in the calls? The number is blocked. How do you know it was him?"

"No, he never said anything. But I _know_ it was him," Eddie said, peeved. "I could hear breathing sometimes and sometimes nothing. But I have no doubt it was him."

"Okay. And what did the letters say?"

"Usually they would begin with some creepy poem," Eddie recalled, trying to envision the letters in her head, "and he would go on to make sadistic comments and he would _always_ make sure to remind me that he knew where I lived and he could come in anytime. And I guess he did." This time, when a tear escaped, she didn't bother to wipe it away.

"Eddie, you don't have to be strong right now," Baez reminded her gently, her voice soothing. "It's okay to cry. You've been through a hell of a lot, more than anybody ever should go through."

At Baez's words, more tears escaped. Jamie, without thinking, reached over and rubbed circles between Eddie's shoulder blades. It earned him an odd look from Danny but nobody commented on it, much to her relief.

After her father was put away, Eddie Janko had learned not to depend on anyone or anything, but she had to admit that she needed Jamie worse than she'd ever needed anybody. 

* * *

**Jamie**

Jamie watched as Eddie bravely answered all of Danny's questions, with Danny writing various things down on a notepad. At one point, silence filled the room, and Jamie knew what was coming.

"Eddie, would you feel more comfortable if Detective Baez were the one to ask you about the… _attack_?" Just like Jamie had, it was obvious that Danny had a hard time saying "rape," even though that was what it was.

Eddie looked over at Jamie, her expression uncertain. She merely nodded, and Baez escorted her to the spare bedroom, leaving Danny and Jamie together in the living room.

"How is she holding up, kid?" Danny asked quietly, jabbing a thumb in the general direction that Eddie and Baez had gone.

Jamie shrugged, unsure of how to answer at first. "As well as to be expected, I guess. She's furious that the call records and letters are gone, and I don't blame her. Even if she could go back to her apartment and stay there, she's too scared to."

Danny nodded. "We'll go back to her apartment and seal it off. Any idea how the bastard got in the first time?"

"I assume the fire escape, because the door hadn't been forced open when I got there on Friday."

"How was she when you found her? And around what time?" Danny had the pen poised over the notepad, ready to take down any information Jamie could give him.

"I had been calling her since Wednesday. She had banged in sick two days in a row. Finally, on Friday night around 9:00, I went to her apartment and I heard whimpering coming from inside. I announced myself and when she still didn't answer, I shoved the door open to find her half naked and crying on the couch. I asked her what had happened and at first she wouldn't tell me, and finally she said, 'He tried to kill me'. I asked who and she told me that it was Brian, who she met after tour Wednesday night, which I later found out wasn't true." Remembering the blank look on Eddie's face ran a chill down Jamie's spine.

Danny nodded and wrote everything down, filling an entire page and flipping to a new one. "Did the hospital do a rape kit?" he asked Jamie, almost in a whisper.

"Yeah," Jamie said sadly. "She wouldn't let me go in with her. She did it alone."

Danny could apparently see the worry on Jamie's face and reached over to put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "She'll be okay, kid. She's tough as nails."

Jamie forced a smile and nodded. "I know." She _was_ tough as nails and he knew that, but he still wasn't sure she would come back 100% from this. He was absolutely sure, however, that he would be by her side through everything, no matter what.

Before Danny could say anything else, Detective Baez and Eddie returned to the living room. Eddie had dried tear streaks mingled in with the angry bruises on her cheeks, but what struck Jamie was how exhausted she looked, like everything left in her had been drained.

"Alright, we'll leave you two be," Danny said, rising from the couch. Eddie looked relieved, and Jamie had to admit that he was, too.

"We'll call if we have anymore questions, and you two call if you need anything. Don't hesitate," Baez added, trailing behind Danny to Jamie's front door.

"Thank you both," Eddie said, giving them something that vaguely resembled a smile.

"We're gonna get this guy," Danny reassured Eddie. And with that, they were gone, and Jamie and Eddie were alone once again.

After locking the door and checking it three times, Jamie turned to Eddie. Any trace of a smile had left her face; now she just looked exhausted. "Do you want to take a nap?" he asked her, knowing the answer before he even spoke the question.

Eddie nodded, plopping back down on the couch. "I think I'll just take a nap here." She turned and laid down on her right side, grabbing one of the pillows and sticking it under her head.

"I have a spare bedroom, you know," Jamie reminded her, pointing towards the hallway.

"I'm fine here," she reassured him, snuggling down into the couch.

Jamie grabbed a throw blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over her, watching as her eyes started to get droopy. "I'll leave you be. I'll be down the hall if you need me." Without thinking, he reached down and stroked her cheek, earning him a sleepy smile.

Eddie surprised him by reaching out and grabbing his wrist just as he was about to leave the room. "Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?" she asked, her beautiful blue eyes gazing up at him. She looked like a little girl, nothing like the tough-as-nails Eddie he knew.

Jamie nodded without hesitation. "Sure," he whispered, reaching down to lift her feet and plopping himself down at the end of the couch, pulling her feet into his lap. "Close your eyes. I'll be right here."

He got no answer, and when he looked over at her, her eyes were already closed.

Jamie leaned his head back and he, too, fell in a dreamless, relaxed sleep for the first time in days. 

* * *

**Eddie**

When Eddie awoke, it was 8:30pm and pitch dark outside, and her headache was gone. She smiled sleepily as she looked to her left and saw Jamie at the end of the couch, sound asleep with her feet in his lap, his arm laying over her protectively.

Not wanting to wake him, Eddie slid her feet off his lap as gently and quietly as she could, but despite her efforts, Jamie's eyes shot open. "Eddie?" he said, his voice taut with worry even seconds after waking up.

Turning to face him, Eddie put her hand on Jamie's shoulder, squeezing gently. "I'm here," she assured him. "It's okay. You just fell asleep."

Jamie raked a hand over his face and stretched his arms above his head, yawning. "How do you feel?" he asked her, studying her face. He looked exhausted himself.

Eddie just shrugged. "I feel okay. As good as can be expected, I guess. I'm a little hungry."

Jamie smiled as if this were the best news he'd received all week and rose from the couch, stretching again and exposing a tanned patch of skin where his sweatpants had slipped down his hips. Her cheeks turned red at the thought that popped in her head, and luckily, Jamie didn't notice.

"Do you want to order in? Maybe from that Italian place on 44th?" he asked her, his hands on his hips.

Eddie's mouth watered at the thought of Italian food, and a little part of her was stoked that her appetite was back. Not completely, but it was back. _Small miracles_ , she thought. "Sounds good."

Jamie smiled and, after writing down what they both wanted, called to place the delivery order. Now that she'd slept, Eddie decided she needed a shower, and she expressed this to Jamie when he got off the phone.

"I think we can manage that," Jamie said before disappearing to the hallway, Eddie close behind him. She watched as he pulled two towels off the shelf and put them next to the sink. "Alright, everything you need is in here. I'll change your dressings when you get out."

Eddie gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Jamie." He gave her a smile in return and closed the door quietly behind him.

After undressing, Eddie stood there for a moment in front of the mirror, studying her reflection closely for the first time. She hardly recognized herself. The normal under-eye bags she had had been replaced by actual black eyes where Brian had hit her in the face. In addition, there were bruises and cuts scattered all over the rest of her face, not even counting the deep gash on her forehead that she saw when she removed the blood-soaked bandage. Next, she turned and tore the dressings off her back, studying the horrific lacerations there, which frankly looked infected.

Closing her eyes tight, she shook her head, wishing she could forget the image of the angry red lashes all over her body as tears stung her eyes. Before she could torture herself by looking at them again, she left the mirror and turned the shower on, letting it run hot for a minute before climbing in.

It wasn't until the hot water hit her skin that Eddie realized how dirty and disgusting she felt, probably from a combination of the hospital and the attack. She looked down at the floor of the shower and realized that the water was a gross rust color because she'd still had some of her own blood on her body. The hospital had offered her a shower or a sponge bath on her last day there, but she'd just wanted to get to her apartment and have a shower there. Now it looked like she wouldn't be going back home for a while.

Eddie scrubbed her skin raw, but no matter what, she didn't feel clean. She didn't feel like she would ever be completely clean again. She stayed in the shower, sitting on the floor under the water, until she was shivering, only getting out when Jamie came in to check on her, sounding worried. She told him she was fine and that she was about to get out, but when she stood, she was hit with a wave of dizziness that told her that she was definitely _not_ fine.

Eddie's vision grayed around the edges, a wave of nausea hit her, and everything went black. 

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Damn. I'm just ruthless, aren't I? I promise next chapter there won't be a cliffhanger. Please let me know what you think and don't forget to review!

 **NEXT CHAPTER:** Eddie is contacted once again by Brian, and Jamie and Eddie adjust to living under the same roof.


	5. Chapter 5

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I would like to say a HUGE thank you to all my reviewers. I appreciate you so much! Thank you!

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

 **Jamie**

Jamie was just about to go check on Eddie again when he heard it, the loud _thud_ that sent chills down his spine. He'd specifically not turned the TV on so that he could hear if Eddie lost her balance and fell or if she yelled for help. So when he heard that telltale noise, he shot up off the couch and to the bathroom door which, thankfully, Eddie hadn't locked.

The scene inside the bathroom was exactly what Jamie had been fearing the second he heard the thump. Eddie was laying half in the shower and half out, stark naked, passed out cold. To preserve some of her dignity, he wrapped a towel around her and pulled her up, cradling her against his chest awkwardly, her wet hair and skin soaking his t-shirt. "Eddie!" he yelled, gently patting her face.

Remembering that Dr. Coleman had warned them that she may lose consciousness anywhere from minutes to hours, Jamie tried his best not to panic, seeing as she was still breathing and had only been out less than a minute. Jamie continued calling her name and gently patting her cheeks, and finally, after about two minutes unconscious, she started to come to.

"Jamie?" she called out, her eyes still closed.

Jamie gently laid her on her back on the floor, supporting her head with his hand but still trying to give her space. "Yeah, Eddie, it's me."

Eddie's eyes shot open and she looked around the bathroom frantically, trying desperately to sit upright. "I passed out?"

Jamie nodded, helping her to sit up. "Yeah, you did. You're okay now. Do you know where you are?"

"In your bathroom?" Eddie asked, seeming a little unsure.

Jamie nodded reassuringly. "You passed out in the shower."

Eddie suddenly seemed to realize that he she was laying on the floor, stark naked under a towel, and her face turned bright red. Jamie found it beyond cute, although he would never tell her that. "Yeah, because that's not embarrassing at all," she muttered, looking humiliated and flustered.

Jamie quickly changed the subject. "Does your head hurt?" He reached a hand out and felt the back of her head, relieved when he didn't feel a knot.

Eddie shook her head. "Not any worse than it did before I fell."

Jamie nodded and got to his feet, holding out his hands for her to grab onto to pull herself up. She wobbled a little as she stood, and Jamie's hands shot out to steady her. "Do you want to change the dressing on your head or do you want me to?"

Eddie bit her lip, looking embarrassed. "Can you do it?"

Jamie smiled, surprised. "Sure. Sit on the sink. I'll go get the bandages." He left her in the bathroom and went to grab the bag from the hospital that they had stuffed with gauze and bandages. When he returned, she was sitting up on the sink, her legs somehow criss-crossed. He grabbed alcohol from the cabinet above the sink and poured it on a piece of gauze. "This is gonna sting," he warned her, but she hissed in surprise anyway when he brushed alcohol over her head wound. "This one looks like it might be infected." The skin around the gash, which extended into her hairline, was bright red and extremely concerning.

Eddie's eyebrows knitted together in worry, but she said nothing. After he secured a bandage over the wound, he rubbed his hands together, satisfied with his work. "Alright. Do you want to get a loose t-shirt on and I'll do the dressings on your back before our food gets here?"

Eddie nodded and hopped off the sink, padding in her towel into the living room to the bag she'd packed. He left the bathroom carrying the hospital bag and watched as she yanked a plain baby blue t-shirt, a pair of sweats and a pair of underwear out, tucking them all under her arm and silently making her way to the bathroom. When she emerged, Jamie couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked. Despite having just fainted, her face had a bit of color in it, and she looked a lot healthier than she really was. She was starting to look like Eddie again, slowly but surely.

Eddie plopped down on the couch, leaving room for Jamie to sit behind her. "Let's get this over with," she grumbled, looking nervous.

Gently, Jamie lifted her t-shirt, exposing her bare back, and a gasp escaped his lips at the sight. "Oh, my God. Eddie…" He trailed off, unsure of what to say. Strewn across her back were angry, deep gashes and dark purple bruises, as if somebody had alternated kicking her and hitting her with something, hard. Her back was covered in them.

"What?" Eddie said, her voice fearful.

"Did he hit you with something sharp?" Jamie inquired, pouring the alcohol on another gauze pad and wiping all of the cuts down.

Eddie was silent for a moment, and her voice was wavering when she spoke. "I think it may have been his belt."

The visual of Brian hitting a half-naked Eddie with a fucking _belt_ made Jamie so angry that if Brian had been there in Jamie's living room in that moment, he could have killed him. "I'm so sorry, Eddie," was all Jamie could say. What else _was_ there to say? There was nothing he could say to take any of this away, so he said nothing more, and neither did Eddie.

After all of Eddie's cuts were covered in alcohol and bandages, Jamie lowered her t-shirt. "I'm going to step into the hall and call the number Dr. Coleman gave me to call if you had any symptoms," he declared, standing from the couch. "If she says to bring you back, we're going back after dinner." To his shock, Eddie didn't argue, just laid back against the couch cushions.

Dr. Coleman answered after three rings. " _This is Dr. Coleman_."

"Hi, Dr. Coleman, it's Jamie."

The doctor sounded surprised and worried almost immediately. " _Is Eddie alright?_ "

"Uh… I'm not completely sure," Jamie said. He filled the doctor in on Eddie passing out, making sure to note that she regained consciousness after two minutes.

Dr. Coleman sounded relieved. " _Losing consciousness with that level of a head injury is very common, so don't worry about that unless she's confused and disoriented when she regains consciousness, or begins vomiting. Otherwise, don't worry._ "

Jamie breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay. That's good."

" _But please, if she has any more symptoms, don't hesitate to call this number or the hospital, no matter what time it is._ "

Jamie thanked her and they hung up. He returned to the living room to find Eddie still on the couch, her legs folded Indian-style. "Well? What did the doc say?" she asked, her eyebrows shooting up inquisitively.

"She said that unless you're confused or start vomiting when you regain consciousness, I don't need to bring you in."

"Sweet," Eddie said, looking as relieved as Jamie felt.

Jamie's stomach grumbled and as if on cue, there was a knock at the door. Eddie jumped a mile. After checking to make sure it was the delivery guy, Jamie opened the door, handed the food off to Eddie and paid and tipped the delivery guy. When he turned around, Eddie was on the couch, already eating her ravioli with the plastic fork that was in the food bag. She caught him smiling at her and paused, marinara sauce on her chin. "What?" she said, clueless.

"I'm just glad your appetite is back is all," Jamie told her as he plopped down beside her, laughing as she swiped a hand across her mouth.

They ate in silence mostly, eating their pasta and downing their soda like there was no tomorrow. Just as Eddie was finishing her ravioli and stuffing a piece of garlic bread in her mouth, Eddie's cell phone vibrated with a text message, and a look of fear crossed her face. She looked at Jamie, her face panicked, as she picked her phone up off the coffee table in front of them.

Jamie watched as her eyes widened while she started down at her phone. "What does it say?" he asked, fighting the urge to take the phone out of her hand. But he didn't have to; she threw it over to him like it had burned her. Her eyes were filled with tears, and when Jamie read the text, he understood why:

 _He can't watch over you forever, you know. It's only a matter of time._

There was a phone number attached to the text this time, and Jamie texted the number to Danny before turning to Eddie, laying the phone aside. Eddie was nearly hysterical. "Eddie, it's going to be okay. I promise you. We're going to get the son of a bitch. Okay?"

Eddie nodded brokenly and swiped the tears from her cheeks. "He's smart. What if you never get him?" she asked, and the fear in her voice broke Jamie's heart.

"We will, Eddie. I _promise_." But deep down, he wasn't as sure as he sounded.

* * *

Eddie finally fell asleep around 11:30 that night. After dinner and after that taunting text from Brian had arrived, Jamie had found a movie for them to watch, a comedy airing on TV. Eddie hadn't been paying much attention, though, and honestly, neither had he. His watch said 11:32 when he looked over and saw that Eddie had fallen asleep, her features taut and her expression worried even in sleep.

After debating with himself for about twenty minutes, Jamie made the decision that Eddie needed to sleep in an actual bed, especially after sleeping in a hospital bed for far too long. And so he quietly and gently lifted Eddie from the couch and carried her to the guest bedroom, pulling the warm covers up over her. She didn't even stir.

After making sure Eddie stayed asleep despite being moved, Jamie set an alarm on his phone to wake her every three hours and give her medication every four, just as the doctor had instructed. And then, he fought sleep for hours, afraid he wouldn't hear his alarm or Eddie if she yelled for help.

Finally, though, around 6am, after hours of waking Eddie up and asking her questions and fighting sleep, Jamie fell into a deep sleep himself, even if only for a little while.

* * *

It was around 10:15 when Eddie came into the kitchen for breakfast the next morning. She had thrown her hair back into a messy ponytail, revealing the bruises on her neck that Jamie somehow hadn't noticed. Before she could catch him staring, he focused on her face and gave her a smile. "Good morning."

She gave him a smile back, one that actually reached her eyes, and Jamie couldn't help but think how much he'd missed that smile that he'd always found so infectious. "What's for breakfast?" she asked, scratching her neck and gesturing towards the stove Jamie was standing in front of.

"I'm making scrambled eggs, bacon and toast, but if you don't want any of that, I can go out and get you something or there's yogurt in the fridge," he informed her, moving the eggs around in the pan.

"I'll have what you're having," Eddie said with a smile, looking around the kitchen. "Is there coffee?"

"Right over there." Jamie gestured to the coffee pot over by the sink and handed her a coffee cup from the cabinet.

They stood there in silence for a bit, Eddie sipping her coffee and Jamie cooking. When breakfast was ready, they ate without talking, Eddie shoving food in her mouth like it was going out of style and rolling her eyes whenever she caught him watching her eat.

Eddie looked at the clock above the stove and her eyebrows furrowed. "Aren't you going to be late for work?" she asked, staring at him over the rim of her coffee cup.

Jamie shook his head, taking a sip of his coffee. "I banged in sick," he said simply, shrugging as though it was no big deal.

Anger flashed across Eddie's face. _Here we go,_ Jamie thought. "Dammit, Jamie. I don't need a babysitter. And I don't want you to use sick days because of me." Eddie's jaw was set. She looked beyond pissed off.

"Eddie, Dr. Coleman stressed that you would need somebody with you for the first few days after being released," Jamie explained in an attempt to reason with her. "What if you pass out when I'm not here? What if you fall and hit your head?"

Eddie seemed to think about that for a moment. "Admit it, Jamie. You're afraid that Brian might come back and I won't be able to defend myself."

Jamie fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Eddie, your wrist is cracked, you have a traumatic brain injury, and you don't have your gun," he pointed out, knowing it would piss her off and not giving a damn. Normally, he hated it when she was angry, whether at him or somebody else, but in this situation, she needed to face the truth.

Eddie was silent for a few minutes, shoving the remainder of her scrambled eggs into her mouth and downing the rest of her coffee. She looked seething mad. After she was done with her food, she shoved her chair back violently from the table and washed her plate off before refilling her coffee cup.

"I'm only okay with you calling in sick for me on one condition," Eddie said, breaking the silence.

 _Oh, great,_ Jamie thought. "And what's that?"

"I want to get out and do something today," Eddie stated matter-of-factly, her hands on her hips.

Jamie chewed the inside of his cheek, contemplating. "Like what?" he asked, wondering what she could possibly have in mind.

"Anything," Eddie said, throwing her hands up. "I would be just fine with taking a walk around the block. If I can't go to work, I at least want to get out of the apartment."

"Eddie, it's 31 degrees outside, windy and there's no sun. It's miserable out," he informed her. "Plus, Dr. Coleman said you can't be up running around. You need to take it easy."

"Dammit, Jamie," Eddie huffed. "I'm going with or without you. So are you in or not?"

"Jesus Christ," Jamie mumbled, shaking his head. _She's so damn frustrating._ "Fine. But only around the block, and you have to promise to tell me if you have a hard time breathing. Your lung collapsed, remember?"

Eddie rolled her eyes and cracked a tiny smile. "Jamie, I'll be fine. And yes, I promise to tell you if I have trouble breathing," she assured him.

After bundling themselves up as much as they could, Jamie and Eddie headed out. There _was_ a small amount of sun starting to creep out, but it was still frigid cold. Jamie frantically blew into his hands in an attempt to warm them, and Eddie shot him an amused smile. "What?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Men are such babies about cold," she responded, shaking her head. "It's hilarious."

"Hey, don't judge, Janko," Jamie said, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he tried to act seriously offended. Smiling, Eddie surprised Jamie by wrapping her hand around his upper arm, walking perfectly in sync with him.

They walked in silence as Jamie looked down at her, unable to stop himself from thinking about how beautiful she looked. The cold had turned her nose and cheeks red, and she was smiling an unbelievably genuine smile.

He also couldn't help thinking he was happier than he'd been in a while and that, whether it was appropriate or not, Eddie was undoubtedly responsible for that.

Maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay.

* * *

 **Brian**

 _December 10_ _th_

 _I saw her today, with that son of a bitch partner of hers. She was too busy smiling at him to see me. Eddie looked as beautiful as ever. She thought that because she left her apartment that I couldn't find her. She was wrong… So very wrong._

 _Really, I can make my move whenever I want. I know where she's staying. I know who she's with. I know where she works. And Jamie can't watch over her forever. Soon, he will have to return to work, and she will be alone. I will plant something in his apartment to watch their every move, and I will close in on them slowly but surely. I just want to enjoy the chase and feel the thrill of knowing that I can get to her whenever I want._

 _Let the fun begin._

* * *

 **NEXT CHAPTER:** Jamie and Eddie begin to have more happen to them than just a few eerie text messages as Brian begins playing games.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

 **Eddie**

When Eddie and Jamie returned from their walk, Danny and Baez were waiting for them outside Jamie's apartment door. Eddie's stomach dropped. "What's going on?" she asked, seeing the solemn expressions both detectives had.

Danny and Baez exchanged a look and Jamie and Eddie exchanged one in turn. "Do you mind if we come in?" Danny asked, nodding to Jamie.

"Not at all," Jamie said nonchalantly, but Eddie could see the worry in his eyes. She was sure they were thinking the same thing: had they found Brian or did they have to face another night worrying about whether or not he was closing in on them?

"How you feelin', Janko?" Danny asked once they were all inside the apartment, the door locked behind them.

"I'm better physically. He's affecting me mentally still, which I hate," Eddie said with a shrug, wishing they could just cut to the chase. So she decided to give them a little nudge. "Did you find anything?"

The detectives exchanged another look, one Eddie couldn't quite translate. Beside her, Jamie was fidgeting, wringing his hands in his lap. Finally, it was Baez who spoke. "The phone that sent you that text was a burner phone, a pre-paid, which wasn't ideal. The account owner is somebody named Andrew Thomas Kirk. Does that sound familiar?"

Eddie thought on it for a minute, chewing her lip, turning the name over and over in her mind until, finally, it hit her. "Drew Kirk. He went by Drew. He was roommates with Brian in college and hung around sometimes while we were dating. I never liked him."

"Any reason in particular why you didn't like him?" Danny asked, pen poised over his notepad again.

Eddie wracked her brain, thinking of all the times Drew had hung around their apartment, leering at her. "He would hang around our apartment sometimes, staring at me. He even made a pass at me once, and Brian told him he would kill him if he ever did it again." Eddie shivered, huddling deeper into the jacket she hadn't yet taken off. She could still see the look on Brian's face as he threatened Drew like he had threatened her so many times at that point in their relationship. She knew he really _would_ kill him; she knew that better than anybody in the world.

As Danny and Baez took down details on their notepads, Jamie and Eddie exchanged a look of their own, and Jamie surprised her by reaching over and squeezing her knee comfortingly while studying her face. When Danny spoke, their gaze was broken but Jamie didn't move his hand. Danny's eyes went to it, but he didn't comment on it, instead saying, "So you would recognize him if you saw him?"

"Probably. I hope so. It's been years since I saw him last, but I'll try," Eddie promised, smiling even through the crippling fear that she may not be able to identify him.

"That's all we can ask for, Eddie," Baez said, giving Eddie an encouraging smile. "Just do your best and if you don't recognize him, we'll nail Brian another way."

The four of them sat there in silence until Danny finally pulled up a picture on his cell phone and handed the phone to Eddie. "Is that him? Is that Andrew Kirk?" Danny asked, his voice sounding hopeful.

The man in the picture was a much older-looking version of the one who had leered at Eddie all those nights, but it was definitely him. She knew by the dimple in his chin, the scar by his left eye and his shaggy brown hair that it was him. "That's definitely him," Eddie said, smiling at the small progress that had just been made.

Danny and Baez both smiled, and when Eddie looked over at Jamie, she saw that he was smiling, too. Danny typed something on his phone and wrote something down quickly on his notepad. "We just have a few more questions about the night Brian attacked you. I know you talked to Baez in private about it, but now _I_ need to hear it from you."

"Okay," Eddie said hesitantly.

"Just tell me how it all went down," Danny asked, ready to write whatever she said down.

Eddie took a deep breath, replaying what she _did_ remember in her head, memories she had tried so hard to block out. "When I got home from work on Wednesday night, everything seemed okay at first. But then I realized that some of my stuff had been moved. I was taking my coat off and hanging it up when Brian came up behind me, covered my mouth with his hand and said he would kill me if I screamed. That's when I was thrown to the ground, so hard I heard my head crack against the tile in the kitchen. That was where he ripped my clothes off and… you know."

Eddie sniffled, tears stinging her eyes. Jamie squeezed her knee gently, silently telling her that she was okay. When she continued, her voice was wavering. "He stayed with me all night and into Thursday morning. He raped me, and he groped me, and the more I fought, the worse he hurt me. He hit me with his belt. He kicked me in the stomach, in my sides, and even once in my head. Finally, at around 8:00 Thursday morning, he heard one of the neighbors outside my apartment door, panicked and hauled ass out the window. And that's it."

It was only after she was done speaking that Eddie realized there were tears streaming down her cheeks, which she swiped away with the back of her hand. "Thanks, Janko," Danny said, giving her a reassuring smile. Baez looked like she might cry. "You're very brave."

Eddie nodded, another tear escaping her eye. "Thank you both," she said as Danny and Baez both stood, tucking their notepads under their arms.

Both detectives nodded as Jamie and Eddie stood and escorted them to the door. "We'll be going to speak with Andrew or Drew or whoever the hell he is immediately. Hopefully, if he didn't send that text, he can tell us who did."

Jamie and Eddie both thanked them and the detectives left, with Danny throwing a quick "Hang in there, kid," over his shoulder. Jamie locked the door tight behind them, and Jamie and Eddie were alone once again.

* * *

 **Jamie**

Eddie and Jamie both breathed a sigh of relief after Danny and Baez were gone, but as Jamie was slipping out of his coat, he caught Eddie rubbing her wrist, her face pinched up in pain as she slid out of her own coat and plopped down on the couch. "Does your wrist hurt?" he asked, watching as she cradled it close to her.

Eddie didn't even bother trying to to laugh it off, which said something in and of itself. "It does, actually. It hurts like hell." Jamie said nothing and left the room for a couple minutes, going to the medicine cabinet and returning with two pills and water in his outstretched hands. She took them and he plopped down beside her. "You don't have to take care of me, you know. I can take care of myself," she informed him.

To her annoyance, Jamie smiled amusingly at her. "I don't mind, Eddie," he assured her, shaking his head. "If I did, you wouldn't be here. And I know you can take care of yourself." He shrugged nonchalantly and reached for the remote, flicking the TV on and settling on a Gilmore Girls marathon that was airing.

"Gilmore Girls? Really?" Eddie said with a laugh. Now it was her turn to shake _her_ head.

Jamie feigned anger and crossed his arms, pretending to pout. "Lorelai is hot," he insisted, gesturing towards the TV. A beautiful smile lit up Eddie's face at his comment, and she looked carefree for a few seconds. But then, as a silence settled between them, with only the noise of Lorelei's fast talking, she didn't look so carefree anymore.

They were completely silent for a few minutes, just watching TV but not really watching. He could tell that both of their minds were elsewhere. Finally, it was Eddie who broke the silence. "He wasn't always like this."

Her words were quiet, and Jamie could barely hear her. "What?" he asked, turning the TV off completely.

Chewing her bottom lip, Jamie could tell Eddie was choosing her words carefully. "Brian… He wasn't always like this. When we first started dating, he was great. Normal. We had fun together." Eddie looked sad as she spoke. Jamie fought the urge to take her into his arms.

"Where did you two meet?" Jamie asked, genuinely curious to know more about that part of Eddie's life.

Eddie stared off into the distance, a sad smile on her face, as if she were reliving the moment she met Brian in her head. "We met at a concert in Manhattan. He hit on me, and asked me out on a date. He was such a gentleman for the first couple months we were dating."

"But then he changed?" Jamie prompted.

Eddie nodded in confirmation. "Yep. He started trying to dictate what I wore and who I hung out with and where I went. He found out I went out with a friend from high school without him knowing and put me in the hospital for two days."

"Did you report it?"

"No. I know I should have. But he threatened my life." Eddie dropped her head in shame, picking at her nails.

"How long were you with him?" Jamie carefully assessed Eddie's facial expression when she lifted her head again. "You don't have to tell me. I'm just curious," he added.

"I know. I don't mind." Eddie gave him a reassuring smile. "We were together for almost four years. It took over three years of beatings and threats for me to finally leave him. I moved out that same day and went to a shelter until I could move into the apartment I'm in now."

"But he found you again?"

Tears filled Eddie's eyes and spilled down her cheeks as she replayed . "Yeah, he found me again," she said, nodding her head. She looked defeated. "I thought I had _finally_ gotten away from him… I thought I was finally safe. But I was wrong. Now I feel like there is no safe place." She backhanded the tears away, but more fell.

Jamie eyed her sympathetically, unsure of what to do to comfort her, unsure if he even _should_ comfort her. But in typical Jamie fashion, he did anyway. "Eddie, we're gonna get him. Until we do, you're safe here. I promise." He gave her a reassuring smile and put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Eddie surprised him by throwing her arms around his neck, and his arms went around her immediately. He just sat there for a minute with her in his arms, rubbing her back as she sniffled. When she pulled away, there were tears in her eyes. "I can't thank you enough, Jamie," she said, one hand still on his arm, her fingers digging into his bicep. "I know I'm a pain in the ass and I give you hell all the time, but I honestly don't know what I would do without you."

Jamie gave her a shy smile. "I don't know what I would do without you either," he told her, and meant it.

* * *

 **Eddie**

Jamie and Eddie hung out at the apartment all day, with Eddie even taking a little catnap while Jamie watched a basketball game. He woke her up for her pain medicine and they ordered in Chinese, plopping down on the couch to eat. Eddie inhaled hers, and Jamie laughed as she did so.

After dinner, Jamie flipped over to a sitcom, and Eddie fell asleep after about ten minutes, her legs tucked underneath her. When she awoke, it was 7:00, and it was Jamie's phone ringing that had pulled her from sleep. "Danny?" Jamie answered, immediately switching it to speakerphone. "Well? Did you find anything?"

" _It depends on your definition of anything. We found Drew._ "

Eddie felt a surge of happiness rush through her. "So did you interview him yet?" Jamie asked eagerly, giving her a triumphant smile.

" _We did, right after we left your apartment, Jamie. The phone wasn't found in his apartment. He was creepy, but he has no record. Apparently, he let Brian put the phone under his name. He said Brian was the one using it, and that Brian had threatened to kill him if he spoke to police."_

Eddie's eyebrows furrowed. "Yet he talked to you anyway?" she asked, confused and thinking that Drew was a bigger dumbass than she thought.

Danny chuckled at the other end of the line. " _Pretty much._ "

"There's more, isn't there?" Jamie asked, his expression grim.

" _Yeah, kid, there is. Drew was found dead three hours after we spoke with him. He was stabbed multiple times. He died of exsanguination._ "

At Danny's words, Eddie's stomach dropped, and she felt her eyes stinging with tears. "He killed him," she mumbled, just loud enough for Danny to hear.

" _We don't know for sure, but it looks that way,_ " Danny said, sounding as defeated as Eddie felt. " _I'm so sorry, Janko._ "

"Thank you," Eddie just managed to choke out before tears blurred her vision and a lump clogged her throat.

Jamie thanked Danny, too, and they hung up. Tears were streaming down Eddie's face unchecked, and when she looked at Jamie, he looked like he might throw up. "He killed him, Jamie. I _know_ it," Eddie cried. Before Jamie could say anything, Eddie slapped a hand over her mouth and bolted past him to the bathroom, Jamie right on her heels.

Jamie kneeled down beside her on the floor as she emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet. He gathered her ponytail into one of his hands and rubbed her back with the other.

"You don't have to—" Eddie was about to tell him he didn't have to be in there with her, but her sentence was cut off by more retching.

"Shhh…" Jamie soothed, rubbing circles between her shoulder blades. When she was finally done, she felt drained, as though she had just run a marathon.

Jamie hooked his hands under her arms and helped her up off the floor. As she stood, her vision began to gray around the edges, and she grabbed onto Jamie for dear life. He quickly helped her to the couch and crouched down beside her. "You okay?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed with concern.

Eddie nodded. "I'm okay. Just a little lightheaded. And I feel so drained," she mumbled. "I feel like I haven't slept in weeks." _Technically, I haven't,_ she thought, remembering all those nights in the past few weeks after Brian had first contacted her when she would lay awake, listening for a window creaking open or the front door locks being broken.

Jamie nodded in understanding, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "Do you want to sleep here?" he asked, gesturing to the couch and sitting down beside her.

Eddie nodded. "I don't want to be alone," she said, maneuvering her body so that she was laying down with her head on Jamie's knee. She pulled the hair band from her hair, letting her blonde locks loose, and as though it were reflex, Jamie's fingers began threading through them comfortingly.

Feeling safer than she'd felt in months, Eddie was sound asleep within minutes.

* * *

 **Jamie**

Eddie's sleep that night had not been nightmare-free. She had woken up numerous times crying, so Jamie was shocked when she was awake by 9:30 the next morning.

"I'm going to see a shrink," she declared matter-of-factly at breakfast, shoveling cereal into her mouth so quickly that Jamie was afraid she would choke.

He nearly choked on his own food at her statement. "You are?" he asked, trying to keep the complete and utter shock out of his voice. Eddie had always been one to just suffer in silence, so her saying she was going to see a shrink _did_ completely and utterly shock him.

"Don't sound so surprised," she grumbled, taking a sip of her scalding hot coffee. "Her name is Iris Ackerman."

 _"Iris?_ " Jamie sputtered. The name didn't exactly roll off the tongue.

"Yes, Iris," Eddie said with a chuckle. "I already made an appointment for tomorrow morning."

"Alright. I'll take you," Jamie offered, knowing she would probably argue but also knowing that she really had no other choice since she couldn't drive yet.

Eddie mumbled something under her breath but didn't argue, instead just carried her bowl to the sink and washed it out along with her coffee cup. Before he could say anything else, Eddie said, "Can I go take a shower now?"

"Eddie, you don't have to ask," he reminded her, suppressing a smile. "Just please be careful, and if you feel lightheaded, sit down and yell for help." His facial expression and tone were stern now.

"Okay, okay. Worry wart," Eddie grumbled, strutting past him, trying her damnedest not to smile. In turn, she left Jamie standing there, smiling like an idiot.

Just after Eddie turned the water on, her cell phone pinged. Jamie immediately peered at the screen and saw that it was a picture message. It was from a different number than the burner phone that had texted her before. Jamie opened the picture, and bile crept up his throat when he realized that he was looking at a picture of Andrew Kirk's dead body. The message that was sent with the picture read:

 _Watch out or you'll end up like Drew._

* * *

 **Brian**

 _December 11_ _th_

 _Drew is taken care of. That stupid bastard used to be one of my best friends. But I warned him what would happen if he called or talked to the police, and what did he do? He spoke to those detectives and ratted me out. I warned him and he didn't listen._

 _I sent Eddie a little reminder that I'm capable of anything, a reminder that I'm only a breath away and I won't hesitate to take out everybody around her if I have to. I'm sure she'll go running to Detective Reagan and Detective Baez, but they won't be able to find me. I do have a feeling that I'll have to step up my game, though, to show her and her partner (who I just found out is Detective Reagan's brother) that I'm not fucking around._

 _It's only a matter of time before they'll find out what I'm really capable of._


	7. Chapter 7

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you guys again so much for all the amazing reviews these last few chapters! I'm really honored. Thank you so much.**

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

 **Eddie**

When Eddie got out of the shower, Jamie was pacing the floor, stopping her dead in her tracks.

"What's wrong?" she asked immediately, her eyes narrowing and her heart thrumming wildly in her chest.

When Jamie turned to face her, she realized he was holding her cell phone in his hands, grasping it so hard his knuckles were white. Before she could say anything, Jamie spoke, his voice not matching the panicked expression on his face. "Eddie, I need you to sit down." His tone was soft and comforting, while his face was the polar opposite.

"Jamie, you're scaring me. What happened?" she said, sitting down on the couch and eyeing the phone in his hand.

Jamie quickly took a seat beside her. "Don't be mad, but your phone went off while you were in the shower and I was afraid it was Brian, so… I picked it up." Jamie waited for her to say something, and when she didn't, he continued. "It was Brian. From a different number this time, but…" He trailed off, closing his eyes and shaking his head, as if trying to rid his brain of some horrible memory.

Jamie turned Eddie's phone over in his hand and unlocked it, passing it to her. The minute she turned it over and looked at the screen, she wished she could rid herself of the memory. It was a picture of a man, laying sideways, duct tape over his mouth. His eyes were staring straight up, lifeless, unseeing. It wasn't until Eddie zoomed in that she realized who it was.

"Drew?" Eddie sputtered, a wave of nausea hitting her. She doubled over at the waist and her phone fell to the floor. Trying to keep from vomiting, Eddie put her head between her knees and breathed deep.

Jamie was silent while Eddie tried to recover, reaching over to rub her back gently every once in a while. Finally, when she was sure she wouldn't throw up, she sat upright and looked at Jamie, who looked like he might throw up. "Have you called Danny?" she asked him, her voice wavering.

Jamie nodded, scrubbing a hand over his face. "Him and Baez will be here soon. We're getting TARU on it immediately."

Eddie's eyes stung with tears and they fell before she could wipe them away. She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head. "I don't feel safe anywhere anymore," she said sadly, swiping the tears off her cheeks.

"You're safe here, Eddie. I promise you," Jamie assured her. "And we're going to catch the son of a bitch. Danny and Baez will make sure of it."

Then, as if on cue, there was a knock at the door. Eddie jumped a mile, and Jamie noticed. She hated that Brian had made her so skittish and nervous and scared of everything, and she knew Jamie hated it, too.

After peeking through the peephole, Jamie opened the door and in came Danny and Baez, both looking worried. When Eddie stood, a wave of dizziness hit her and she wobbled on her feet, sending both Danny and Jamie racing to her side. "Eddie, you okay?" Jamie asked, leading her back to sit down on the couch. Danny was staring at her like she was about to fall apart, and depending on the news she received, maybe she was.

"I'm fine," Eddie assured them, putting her hand up. "Did you guys get anything?"

Danny and Baez both said down across from the couch, and Jamie sat down next to Eddie. All three people were still looking at her with concern apparent in their faces. It was Danny who spoke. "TARU has the cell phone number that Jamie sent us and is working on tracking it now. If it's another burner phone, there may be a way to track it still. They're bringing out the big guns on this one."

Eddie nodded, feeling slightly hopeful and, honestly, a little lightheaded. "Did you find anything else out?" Jamie asked from beside her.

Danny nodded, pressing his lips into a thin line. Then, he turned to look directly at Eddie. "Janko, TARU went through your apartment with a fine-tooth comb. They found not one but two cameras planted in your apartment. They've taken them to analyze where they were bought."

"So… He's been watching me this whole time?" Eddie asked in disbelief, a lump clogging her throat.

"It looks that way, yeah."

All of the air left Eddie's lungs in a whoosh and a wave of nausea hit her so hard that she shot off the couch and bolted to the bathroom, emptying her stomach contents into the toilet once again. She heard heavy footfalls and before she knew it, Jamie was on his knees beside her once again, her slightly damp hair in his hands.

"It's okay," he whispered, picking up on the fact that there were tears streaming down her cheeks.

When she was finally done, Eddie's face was covered in a mix of tears and sweat, her stomach still churning. "Eddie, do you think this vomiting is from stress? Or do you think it's from your head injury?" Jamie asked in a low voice, helping her up off the floor.

Eddie shrugged and washed her mouth out in the sink. The taste of vomit was about to make her puke again. She bit her lip, afraid to tell Jamie the truth. "Honestly, I've been nauseous all morning," she concluded. Before Jamie could respond, she was speaking again. "We should get back to Danny and Baez." And with that, Eddie slid past him, returning to the living room, and Jamie was hot on her heels. Eddie figured he was probably pissed.

"Are you alright, Janko?" Baez asked, both detectives eyeing Eddie closely as she walked to the kitchen and got a bottle of water before returning to the couch. She turned to see that Jamie was watching her closely, too.

"I'm fine," she assured them, taking a long swig of her water. "This head injury is a bitch, but I'm doing okay."

"Good," the detectives said in unison, but honestly, they didn't look so convinced.

"Anyway, there will be two officers outside your apartment building until we catch this son of a bitch," Danny stated in a tone that made it clear that he was not to be argued with. "And TARU is going to be setting you up with another panic button and God only knows what else."

"Great," Jamie grumbled, scrubbing a hand over his face again.

"When are you goin' back to work?" Danny asked Jamie.

"I don't know yet. I'll let you know when I do, though." Eddie could tell that Jamie was trying not to discuss going back to work in front of her since he knew she was dying to go back herself. "Please keep us up to date with all the TARU stuff."

"Alright, kid." Danny gave a slightly amused smile and both detectives stood. Eddie and Jamie thanked them both and Jamie walked them to the door. "One more thing, guys. Please take this seriously. This could be life or death for either one of you," Danny reminded them before walking out into the cold hallway, Baez following closely behind him.

Jamie locked the door up tight behind them and immediately turned to Eddie. "Janko, why the hell didn't you tell me you've felt sick all morning?" Before she even had a chance to answer, to explain, he kept going. "I'm supposed to be looking out for you and making sure you're okay. You're my partner and my best friend, and it's kind of my job. So please make it a little easier on me." To Eddie's relief, there was no anger in Jamie's tone, only concern.

Eddie shrugged, staring down at the floor. "I don't know. Especially after you showed me that text... I just didn't want to make a big thing out of it."

"Eddie, it is a big thing," Jamie said, nudging Eddie's arm. Eddie was relieved when he changed the subject. "Do you need me to do the dressings on your back?"

Eddie nodded, realizing she had forgotten all about them. "If you don't mind," she said softly, suddenly feeling shy, even though she knew there was no way she could do it herself. She tucked a wet strand of hair behind her ear and looked up from underneath long lashes at Jamie, who was studying her face.

"I don't mind, Eddie," Jamie replied, disappearing from the room and reappearing with the bag that contained gauze, bandages and ointment from the hospital. Without warning, Eddie felt Jamie's fingers running up and down the wounds on her back, covering them in ointment. Eddie couldn't help but hiss in pain. "You alright?" Jamie asked her.

"Uh-huh," Eddie muttered, biting her lip to keep from crying out. The coolness of Jamie's fingers helped, though, and left her skin tingling in their wake.

After putting ointment and bandages on Eddie's back, Jamie lowered her t-shirt and turned Eddie to face him, studying the gash on her forehead. He gently brushed alcohol over it and laid a huge bandage down, his fingers brushing her skin gently as he smoothed the bandage and made sure the edges were secure. Eddie watched him study her face for an extra few seconds before re-packing what she had nicknamed the "bandage bag".

She was glad he missed the goofy smile that crossed her face.

* * *

 **Jamie**

After changing Eddie's dressings, Jamie convinced her to eat a few bites of yogurt, which she vomited up almost immediately. She couldn't even keep water down. Jamie suggested she lie down for a bit in the guest bedroom, and to his shock, she didn't argue with him. He was scared to give her a dose of her pain medicine without something on her stomach, so he gave her the anti-inflammatory that Dr. Coleman had prescribed instead.

After helping Eddie into bed, Jamie stayed with her for a bit, at her request. As much as he hated that she was so scared still, it made him feel good that she knew she was safe with him. After she was finally asleep, Jamie stepped out into the hallway, leaving Eddie's door open a crack, and dialed the number Dr. Coleman had given him. She answered on the second ring. "This is Dr. Coleman."

"Hi, Dr. Coleman, it's Jamie. Jamie Reagan. I was in there with my partner, Eddie Janko a couple days ago?"

"Hi, Jamie. How is Eddie doing?" Dr. Coleman asked. Jamie could hear the sound of a PA system in the background and knew Dr. Coleman must have been at the hospital. Maybe I shouldn't have bothered her at work, he thought.

"I'm sorry to bother you," he apologized. "Honestly, I'm not sure how Eddie's doing. She lost consciousness that one time, but what I'm worried about right now is the nausea. She's been nauseous all day, and she can't even keep water down at this point." Jamie quickly poked his head into the guest room, relieved to see that Eddie was still sound asleep, before heading to the living room so as not to wake her.

"Hmm," Dr. Coleman muttered, sounding concerned or focused or something Jamie couldn't quite identify. "Jamie, is Eddie available for me to speak to?"

"She's asleep. Do you need me to wake her up?"

"No, no," Dr. Coleman responded. "Don't wake her. Has she acted confused or disoriented at all?"

Jamie thought about it for a moment before responding. "Not that I can recall. She has nightmares all the time, but I know that's normal."

"Unfortunately, you're right," the doctor confirmed with a sigh. "It's very normal, in fact. Alright, what I'm going to suggest is that when she wakes up, if she's still vomiting, go ahead and bring her to the ER. They can give her IV fluids, keep her hydrated, and hopefully stop that vomiting. And they'll do a scan of her head to make sure there's no brain bleed that has come on suddenly and things like that."

 _Brain bleed?_ Jamie's blood pressure rose immediately at the words "brain bleed". From the moment Eddie was diagnosed with a TBI, Jamie had known that a brain bleed was highly possible, but hearing Dr. Coleman say it now still caught him a bit off guard. "Okay. I'll do that. Thank you, Doctor," Jamie said, sounding a bit like he may faint.

"My pleasure. Call me if you have any more questions, or call the ER." And with that, they hung up, and Jamie was alone with his thoughts once again.

But he wasn't alone with his thoughts for long. Realizing it was getting fairly late, Jamie dialed Danny's number. "Reagan," Danny answered, sounding out of breath.

"Has TARU found anything yet? About the cell phone?" Jamie asked, anxious and all sorts of scared.

He expected Danny to tell him to quit bothering him and that he would call when he had something, but that wasn't what he got. "Actually, I was just about to call you. First off, TARU found yet _another_ camera in Eddie's apartment. It was in her bathroom. That son of a bitch was watching her shower and God only knows what else. Second, they're going to equip both your apartment and Eddie's with an alarm system, window sensors, and a panic button. Third—"

Jamie cut him off as he was about to go on. "There's more?"

"Yeah, kid, there is," Danny said, his irritation at being interrupted apparent in his voice. " _Third_ , TARU found where the burners were being bought, but it gets better. Brian apparently placed a call from the same phone that sent Eddie that text this morning, and they were able to triangulate the location he was in when the call from that phone was made. He was smart enough to make the call from a public location, but guess what? He messed up. We caught him on a traffic camera making the call at the corner of 55th and 5th, where he then dumped the phone."

"Do we know who it was he called?" Jamie was trying his hardest not to get his hopes up, and he would certainly try not to get Eddie's up.

"Not yet," Danny said, "but we're about to. Baez and I are headed over there now. Kid, pray the asshole didn't wipe the phone before he tossed it."

"Alright. I'll fill Eddie in when she wakes up," Jamie assured, thanking Danny before hanging up and getting to his feet to check on his partner. When he got to the guest room door and poked his head in, he was surprised to see Eddie sitting up on the edge of the bed but bent at the waist, her head between her knees. He ran to her immediately, crouching down in front of her. "Eddie, what's wrong?"

When Eddie lifted her head to look at him, Jamie was shocked by her pallor and the fact that her face was covered in a light sheen of sweat. He put his hand to her forehead and found that she was burning up. "My head is killing me and I feel..." Before she could finish her sentence, Eddie wobbled to her feet and bolted to the bathroom, once again throwing up until she was dry heaving. Jamie took his spot beside her on the floor and held her hair back, stroking her neck with his cool fingers.

When she was done, the first words out of Jamie's mouth were, "I'm taking you to the ER, Eddie." To his shock, she just slumped against him and nodded in agreement, further proving that something was incredibly wrong. He pulled her to her feet, and he could see her knees shaking. "Can you walk?" Instead of answering, she took a few shaky steps and Jamie caught her before she went down. He tilted her head back, relieved to see she was still conscious, and scooped her up in his arms.

After carrying Eddie to the living room and putting her on the couch, where she stayed without protest, Jamie grabbed Eddie's bag that had some of her clothes still in it. It was below freezing outside, so he wrapped her in one of his sweatshirts, zipped it up as far as it would go, and carried her out to his car, locking the apartment door tightly behind him.

On the way to St. Vic's, Jamie kept Eddie talking and prayed she would stay conscious. Thankfully, she did, and she was still conscious when he carried her through the ER doors. They were back in a room almost immediately after being checked in, and Jamie was relieved when the nurse who walked in was Linda.

"I saw Eddie's name on the chart. What's been going on?" Linda asked them both, but it was Jamie who answered, looking at Eddie and noting that she was nearly asleep.

"Can I talk to you outside?" he asked, jabbing a thumb towards the hallway. Linda nodded, and he followed her out, closing the door behind him. "Did you hear what happened to her?"

"Danny told me bits and pieces, but not much."

"On Friday night I went to her apartment and found her half naked and nearly beaten to death. An ex-boyfriend of hers raped her, beat her and left her there to die." Jamie took a deep breath, looking down at the floor, trying not to get angry just telling the story again. "Anyway, I took her to the hospital, and she's got broken ribs, one of which punctured her lung, a cracked wrist, and a moderate traumatic brain injury, amongst other things. They did a rape kit. They did release her but Dr. Coleman warned that she may lose consciousness, which she has, but only once. I'm sure Danny told you she's staying with me."

"He did. What prompted you to bring her in tonight?" Linda asked, reading something on the clipboard in her hands. Jamie could tell that what he'd told Linda about what Eddie had been through had upset her. She wasn't making eye contact with him.

"She's been vomiting off and on for the last couple days. Earlier today she laid down for a nap at my suggestion, and when I went to check on her, I found her awake and saying that her head was killing her. Before I could say anything else she ran past me to the bathroom and vomited again. I told her I was taking her to the hospital, and she didn't argue, so here we are," Jamie explained as Linda took notes down on Eddie's chart. "Dr. Coleman told me that she may have a brain bleed and that I needed to bring her in immediately if she was still vomiting when she woke up."

Linda nodded, her lips pressed into a straight line, her expression grim. "Alright, Jamie. I'm going to get an IV in her and get some fluids going, and we'll do a CT scan on her to make sure there's no brain bleed. She's going to be okay." She patted her brother-in-law's arm gently and gave him some semblance of a smile before leading them back into Eddie's room. Eddie was awake, but barely. "Hi, Eddie. How are you feeling?" Linda asked as Jamie pulled a chair up next to Eddie's bed and sat down, fighting the urge to take her hand.

"My head hurts," Eddie whimpered, her chin quivering.

Linda rubbed a hand up and down Eddie's arm in what looked to Jamie like a motherly gesture. "Alright, sweetie. We'll do a scan of your head just to make sure everything looks okay and give you some fluids in an IV." Eddie just nodded, her eyes slipping closed as tears fell down her cheeks, breaking Jamie's heart and probably Linda's, too.

Linda left the room to get what she needed for Eddie's IV, leaving Jamie and Eddie alone. Jamie took the opportunity to take Eddie's hand. She wrapped her fingers around his and he squeezed them comfortingly. Eddie cracked a tiny little smile, her eyes still closed.

When Linda returned, Jamie didn't let go of Eddie's hand, and luckily, Linda didn't seem to notice much. She slid the needle into Eddie's arm easily, and Eddie didn't even flinch. After inserting the plastic tubing and pulling the needle out, Linda hooked the IV bag up and hooked Eddie up to a monitor and a blood pressure cuff on the other arm. Jamie caught Linda frowning as she looked at the blood pressure reading. "Is something wrong?" Jamie said, anxiety apparent in his voice.

Linda shook her head, wiping the frown off her face. "Her blood pressure is a little low, but if she's been vomiting, that's completely normal. We'll get those fluids going as well as some Reglan and get that pressure back up." Eddie gave a weak smile as Linda patted her arm before walking out, giving Jamie a reassuring smile as well before she left.

Eddie looked at Jamie, her eyes sad and tired. "I'm so ready for this all to be over."

"I know you are," Jamie said, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. "So am I." And he was. He was ready for everything with Brian to be over and for Eddie to be healthy and for all of this to be behind her, behind them. But at this point, it didn't look like it would be anytime soon.

"I'm so tired," Eddie mumbled, her eyes slipping closed again.

"Go to sleep. I'm sure it will be a bit before they take you back for the CT scan," Jamie said, looking at the clock on the wall and seeing that it was nearly 6:00pm.

Eddie merely nodded and she drifted off with her hand still in Jamie's.

* * *

 **Eddie**

Eddie was awoken around 7:30pm by Linda and another nurse she didn't recognize, saying they were ready to take her down for the CT scan, informing Eddie that she didn't have to drink contrast liquid and that it wouldn't take more then thirty minutes. Jamie helped them transfer her from the bed to the wheelchair they'd brought up with them, and they wheeled her down to Radiology, making small talk along the way.

The scan seemed to go fairly quickly, and when they returned to Eddie's ER room around 7:55, Jamie was pacing. _Again._ Eddie's blood went cold. She waited until she was safely back in the bed and until Linda and the other nurse left before she said anything.

"Jamie? What's wrong?" she asked, watching as he finally took a seat but started tapping his foot anxiously.

"It can wait, Eddie," he said, offering something that Eddie figured was supposed to be a reassuring smile. But it didn't reassure her. It was taut and looked more like a grimace.

"No, it can't. Just tell me," Eddie insisted, reaching over and grabbing Jamie's shaking hand, not caring that it would probably look bad if Linda walked in.

Jamie took a deep breath and scrubbed his free hand over his face. "Eddie…" He squeezed her hand and looked her dead in the face, and his expression was so grim that it scared the shit out of her. "While you were downstairs, Danny called me. He told me that, first off, Brian has a couple people working for him. They found record of that on the burner cell phone that Brian dumped at 55th and 5th, which the dumbass failed to wipe before tossing it."

"And secondly?" Eddie prompted, a feeling of dread washing over her.

"Secondly, New York Fire Department was sent to my apartment building ten minutes ago. Half of the building is gone."

* * *

 **NEXT CHAPTER: Brian and his partners become more and more intent to make Jamie and Eddie's lives a living hell, and Eddie faces another health scare.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

 **Jamie**

As Jamie told Eddie what he'd just found out, her still-bruised face crumpled. Immediately, without thinking, he rose from the chair and sat on the edge of Eddie's bed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He could feel that Eddie had lost weight throughout all of this, the bones protruding sharply from her skin.

"I'm so sorry, Jamie," she wailed, pressing her face into Jamie's side. "I brought all of this on you."

"No, Eddie, it's not," he assured her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "You didn't ask for any of this. You didn't ask to be raped, you didn't ask to be nearly beaten to death, and you sure as hell didn't ask for the bastard to set my apartment complex on fire. So stop blaming yourself."

Eddie said nothing, merely shook her head. He could feel her tears soaking his t-shirt, but he didn't care. Holding her and letting her cry was comforting him, too, although he wasn't sure how that worked. He hugged her to his chest until her crying was nothing but a sniffle here and there, and then he pulled away, looking her in the face. Her face was still covered in yellow-ish bruises, and now it was tear-streaked. "Are you hungry?" he asked her, realizing that she'd thrown up what she'd eaten last and that she was probably starving.

Eddie merely shrugged, her face sad. "I guess. I'll probably throw it all up if I do eat," she concluded, reaching down and fiddling with her IV tubing.

"Well, it's worth a try," Jamie decided. "Let me ask Linda if it's okay for you to eat something, and if it is, I'll go get you something from the cafeteria."

"Okay," Eddie said, and she sounded so small, like a little girl.

Jamie gave her a smile and she gave him one back before he left the room, closing the sliding door behind him. Just as he was about to call Linda's cell phone, he saw her walking up the hall. "Hey, Linda, is it okay if Eddie has something to eat?"

"That's fine. We gave her Reglan through her IV, so she should be able to keep the food down if she eats," Linda informed him, smiling reassuringly and, this time, he believed her. "Her CT scan results will be another few hours, so relax, get comfortable, and get you something to eat, too."

"Will she be admitted?" Jamie asked.

"It depends on the scan results, honestly," Linda said, fiddling idly with her stethoscope. "If it shows any brain bleed, depending on the severity, she may need surgery or if it's a minor bleed, it can be treated with medications. It just all depends."

Jamie thought on that for a moment, chewing his lip. "Did Danny tell you what happened at my apartment?"

Linda looked confused and concerned. "No, I guess he didn't."

"One whole side of the complex is gone. It's not my side, but it looks like we won't be able to go back for a while, not until the damage is repaired and they're sure it's structurally sound," Jamie informed her, and it felt surreal that he was saying those words. He was angry, not at Eddie, of course, but at Brian, for taking control over their lives the way he had, and for taking away the only home Eddie had at the moment.

Linda looked like she may faint, or cry. Jamie wasn't sure which one. "Jamie, I'm so sorry. Is Eddie's apartment livable right now?"

"Not currently," Jamie said, frowning. "TARU is tearing the place apart. They've already found three cameras that Brian had planted to watch Eddie, and they're still going through the place with a fine-tooth comb. And honestly, even if we could go back there, I don't think Eddie will want to for a while. He almost killed her there." Jamie shivered, remembering the faraway, haunted look in Eddie's eyes when he found her.

"Understandable. Well, you know you're always welcome at our house, both of you," Linda offered, giving Jamie's arm a squeeze. "Alright, you better get your girl- I mean, Eddie something to eat." Linda smiled and winked, making Jamie think that her little slip-up was intentional, and making him smile as well before he turned around and walked off.

The cafeteria was one floor up from the ER, and it was only when Jamie's mouth started to water at the smell of the food that he realized he hadn't eaten much lately. Moving through quickly, he got Eddie and himself a sandwich, two bags of chips, and two sodas. Not wanting to be gone long and afraid he would, by some chance, miss the CT scan results, he quickly took an elevator back down. It was only when the elevator doors opened on the right floor that Jamie saw Brian standing outside the entrance to the ER. His hands were in his pockets and Jamie could have sworn he was smiling.

Before he could even think about it, Jamie was running toward those doors, the bag of food still in his hands and the drinks tucked under his arms. But by the time he got there, after pushing through a throng of people, Brian was gone, disappeared into the frigid cold night. And what scared Jamie the most was that he wanted to drop the food and run after him, to make him pay for leaving Eddie in shambles. But instead he ran, knuckles white, to Eddie's room, flinging the door open and nearly giving Eddie a heart attack.

"Jamie, what's wrong?" Eddie asked, eyes wide, hand to her chest.

Jamie put the food and drinks to the side and sunk into the chair beside Eddie's bed, breathless. "Eddie, I saw Brian," he said, winded and rubbing a hand through his hair.

Eddie's forehead creased and he swore he saw her lower lip wobble. "Are you... Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," Jamie insisted, removing the food from the bag, needing something to do, something to focus on. Oh, how badly he had wanted to go running out those hospital doors and rip Brian apart. But he knew that that would make him no better than Brian, and even though the bastard had nearly taken Eddie's life, Jamie knew she would be furious at him if he took Brian's like he wanted to. Not only had he nearly killed Eddie, he had also turned Jamie into somebody who was willing to kill.

Lips pressed into a thin line, Jamie handed Eddie her sandwich, chips and soda, watching as she ripped the sandwich out of the container and began shoving pieces of it into her mouth. Jamie took the opportunity to step outside and call Danny, who answered after the first ring. "Hey. You okay?"

"I guess. I'm at the hospital with Eddie. I saw Brian, Danny."

"What?" Danny sputtered, shock and fear evident in his voice.

"Yeah. He was outside the hospital," Jamie informed him, peeking back into Eddie's room and seeing her still feasting on her sandwich. "Honestly, I'm terrified for Eddie. She's been throwing up constantly, she can't keep anything down, and this son of a bitch won't stop messing with us. She can't take much more, and frankly, neither can I."

Jamie heard Danny sigh on the other end of the phone. "Alright. Are you in the ER or is she in her own room?" he asked.

"We're in the ER right now, but I have a feeling she's going to be admitted." _Again_.

"Okay, kid. We'll have security stationed outside Eddie's ER room for now, and if she's moved up to a room, we'll station them outside there, too. She'll be safe."

Jamie breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks. Have you found anything else out about Brian and his... associates?"

"Not much. We've got a name for one of them, but no address. His name is Levi Watts. We're still working on the other guy." Danny was silent for a minute, and when he spoke again, his voice sounded different. "You and Eddie are welcome to stay at our house until you can go back to your apartment. I'm sure Linda told you that."

"She did. Thanks, Danny," Jamie said, smiling to himself.

"No problem. Let us know if you or Eddie need anything, Jamie. We'll call when we find something else out."

Jamie thanked Danny again and they hung up, leaving Jamie feeling slightly better. He turned to go back to Eddie's room and saw who he was sure was the ER doctor coming toward them, carrying a manila folder in his hands. Jamie quickly stepped back into Eddie's room and sat down in the chair next to her bed, trying to mentally prepare himself for whatever the doctor was about to say.

Fear flashed in Eddie's eyes as the doctor stepped into the room, and Jamie reached over to grab her hand. This doctor was tall, easily over six feet, and extremely intimidating until he spoke. His voice was warm and not at all what you would expect when looking at him. "Hello, Officer Janko. I'm Dr. James." He reached out and shook Eddie's free hand, then his eyes fell on Jamie.

"I'm Jamie Reagan, her partner," Jamie said, reaching out to shake the doctor's hand firmly. Dr. James gave him a warm smile, his eyes looking from Jamie to Eddie and back again.

"You can call me Eddie," Eddie informed the doctor, and Jamie was sure she was probably wondering how he knew she was a police officer because he was wondering the same thing.

Dr. James smiled. "Alright. How are you feeling, Eddie?" He had a clipboard tucked under his arm, which he pulled out as well as a pen.

"Honestly, I feel like hell," Eddie said, earning a chuckle from the doctor. "I've been throwing up off and on for days. Before I came here, I couldn't even keep water down."

When he raised his head again, the doctor's face was grim. Jamie's stomach dropped, and Eddie's face paled. "Well, Eddie..." Dr. James opened the manila folder he'd been carrying and studied it for a moment. "There's a reason you've been so nauseous. Your CT scan results show that you have a chronic subdural hematoma, which is when blood collects on the outer covering of the brain."

 _Shit, shit, shit_ , Jamie thought, looking over at Eddie, who looked like she just might pass out. Jamie squeezed her hand and waited for her to say something. She didn't, so Jamie spoke instead. "So what will the treatment be?"

"First off, we'll need to stabilize Eddie's blood pressure and breathing. Her oxygen and blood pressure both are a bit off at the moment, and looking at your scans now, Eddie, I don't think that surgery will be necessary."

Eddie looked at Jamie, and relief was apparent in her face. "So if not surgery, how will we treat it?" she asked, subconsciously stroking Jamie's hand and holding it tighter than she probably realized.

"Well, we'll keep you for a few days, monitor you with repeated scans. We'll put you on a corticosteroid to relieve the swelling in your brain, and put you on oxygen to regulate your breathing completely," Dr. James informed them, his voice soothing. "We'll admit you, monitor you continually, and I won't suggest surgery unless it's absolutely necessary. This type of hematoma quite often goes away on its own." The doctor jotted down a few things on his clipboard and Jamie and Eddie exchanged a glance. Jamie could see the worry written all over Eddie's face, but he had a feeling it wasn't only because of what the doctor had said. Brian was weighing heavy on both of their minds, that was obvious.

"And if this doesn't go away on its own?" Eddie asked, chewing the inside of her cheek nervously. Jamie had noticed she'd picked up that habit along with biting and chewing her nails and chewing her lips until they bled.

"I think it will, Eddie, but if it doesn't, we'll perform a surgery to suction the hematoma out with a catheter. That procedure is small and can be done bedside, so don't be worried about it at all." Dr. James gave Eddie a reassuring smile and shook both of their hands. "I'll have them get started on getting you a room upstairs and getting your new meds and oxygen all set up." And with that, the doctor left, leaving Jamie and Eddie alone once again.

Both were silent for a few minutes until Eddie finally spoke. "I'm scared," she said, her voice so small and quiet that he barely heard her.

"Eddie, you're a strong, capable woman, and a cop who fearlessly faces danger every single day. You'll be fine," Jamie assured her, leaning forward to press a kiss to Eddie's forehead.

Truthfully, though, Jamie was just as scared as Eddie was.

* * *

Shortly after they got Eddie a room upstairs, she fell asleep, giving Jamie a chance to think in the silence. There was a cop from another precinct stationed outside Eddie's room, but Jamie still didn't feel like she was safe. He sat there in that barely-padded chair beside Eddie's bed, staring at her as she slept. She had oxygen tubes in her nose now, and somehow, she looked even smaller than before. The hospital bed seemed to swallow her.

Nurses came in and out throughout the next few hours, giving Eddie doses of pain medicine and making sure her vitals were okay, and she stayed asleep through all of it. Finally, around ten thirty, Jamie's phone rang. The caller ID bore his brother's name, and Jamie's stomach turned. Was it Brian? Had they finally caught him? Or had he burned something else down? "Hello?" Jamie answered, stepping out into the hallway, heart pounding.

"Jamie, we got Watts. Found him at his apartment in Queens," Danny said, sounding out of breath again.

Jamie couldn't help himself; he felt a pang of hope. "Did you talk to him?" he asked, leaning against the wall. There was a large window at the end of the hall, right outside Eddie's room, and Jamie found himself staring out of that window into the frigid night.

"He's dead."

Jamie's blood went cold and nausea boiled thick in his stomach. " _What?_ " Jamie sputtered, running his free hand through his hair, a nervous habit that _**he**_ had recently acquired, much like Eddie's biting her fingernails.

"Yeah. He'd been shot to death. Nobody in the apartment complex heard anything, or at least they aren't saying anything if they did." Danny's voice was tight with frustration. "It was a low-income place in an even worse neighborhood. I don't think we're gonna get much from any of them."

Jamie's throat closed up tight and he scrubbed a hand over his face. "Do you think it was Brian?" he asked, his voice nearly getting stuck in his throat.

Danny sighed on the other end of the phone. "I can't say for sure, you know that. But yes, I have every reason to believe it was him."

Jamie said nothing for a minute, instead staring out at the view outside the window. The night was frigid cold, below twenty degrees fahrenheit, and Jamie could feel it as he pressed his forehead against the glass. Still, he said nothing. What was there to say?

Danny seemed to understand Jamie's silence and spoke instead. Jamie was grateful for that. "How's Eddie?"

Jamie sighed deeply, going over everything Dr. James had said in his head and hoping he could remember everything. "They did a CT scan and apparently they found something called a subdural hematoma. It's a collection of blood that's formed on top of her skull. From what I understood from Google, the type of subdural hematoma that she has develops over a period of days to weeks. Dr. James said it usually goes away on his own, but if this one doesn't, they'll basically drill a small hole in her skull and suck the blood out through a catheter."

Danny made a noise that sounded something like a gurgle. "Eww. I could have done without that last part, kid."

Jamie cracked a smile and even gave a little laugh. "Sorry. So did you get the name of the other guy who was helping Brian and Watts?"

"One step at a time, Jamie. We've got Watts's apartment sealed off still, so we'll be digging through there for a few more days. Something will turn up, and you'll be the first one to know when it does." Jamie heard more voices and phones ringing in the background and promptly realized that Danny _**still**_ wasn't home. "Listen, I gotta go. Call if you need anything."

Jamie thanked Danny and hung up, tucking his phone back into his pocket. He lingered by that window for a few more minutes, staring down at the street below, thinking about what Danny had just told him and running through theories in his head. Was Levi Watts another Andrew Kirk? Did Brian get Levi to do what he wanted and then killed him to eliminate the threat of him saying anything?

What kind of person were him and Eddie and Danny and Baez _honestly_ dealing with?

* * *

 **Eddie**

When Eddie awoke, her face itched, and panic was hot and tight in her stomach when she realized that Jamie wasn't sitting in the chair beside her bed. Her room was freezing cold and the tubes coming out of her nose were irritating her face and she just wanted to leave. To leave this hospital and go home. She wasn't sure if "home" meant Jamie's apartment or hers, but she _was_ sure that she didn't care.

Just as Eddie was about to crawl out of bed and waddle across the room to get her phone, the door opened and in walked Jamie. His face was pinched up, and Eddie's face fell. "What's wrong?"

"How are you feeling?" he asked, dodging her question.

"Itchy. What's wrong?" she repeated, eyebrows raised.

Jamie took his seat next to her bed and ran his hands over his face. "Eddie, while I was on the phone with Danny before the doctor came in, he told me that they found out that one of Brian's... associates... was a guy named Levi Watts. Does that name sound familiar?"

Eddie turned the name over and over again in her head, wracking her brain, running through every one of Brian's friends that she could remember. Nothing. "I wish I could say it did, but no. I don't think I've ever heard it. What about him?"

"Well, just now, Danny told me that they found him at his apartment in Queens. Dead. He'd been shot."

Eddie's face went ashen. "He killed him," she choked out, squeezing her eyes shut as tears filled them. "He did he same thing to this guy as he did to Drew."

"It looks that way, yeah," Jamie confirmed.

Eddie swiped the tears from her face and put her thinking cap on, chewing her lip. "Do you think maybe it was Watts who torched your apartment complex? Maybe Brian got him to do his dirty work and then wiped him off the map after it was done."

"Maybe," Jamie said quietly, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "I'm going to mention it to Danny and maybe he can show Watts's picture to the other residents in my building."

Eddie nodded and chewed her lip until she tasted blood. "Jamie, where are you going to sleep tonight?" Eddie tried to keep the look of torment off her face as she asked, but it was apparent in her voice.

To her surprise, Jamie smiled. "That's cute that you think I'm sleeping anywhere but here," he said, the corners of his mouth turning slightly upwards into some semblance of a smile. Eddie cracked a smile, too. "I'll shower at Danny's or at my dad's."

Eddie nodded in understanding. What else was there to say? "I'm sorry my psycho ex-boyfriend possibly had one of his minions torch your apartment complex"? "I'm sorry you had to find me nearly beaten to death on my couch"? "I'm sorry I've completely messed your life up"?

 _I'm sorry._

 _I'm sorry._

 _I'm sorry._

* * *

 **Jamie**

Eventually, after another hour of talking and a little bit of crying, Eddie fell back to sleep and Jamie dozed off himself briefly. When he woke up, it was around one o'clock in the morning, and what woke him was the sound of a rush of footsteps in Eddie's hospital room.

Disoriented, Jamie shot upright and tried to get his bearings, tried to see _anything_ in the dark hospital room. His heart jumped into his throat as he realized that there were four nurses surrounding Eddie's bed, engaged in a flurry of activity. Finally, Jamie realized what was happening.

Eddie was seizing.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

 **Eddie**

When Eddie awoke, there was an unbearable pain in her head and her throat felt so dry she thought it would crack. She was disoriented for only a few moments before a detail came back to her: shaking. She remembered shaking uncontrollably and a bunch of nurses around her, but nothing else.

She looked over to see Jamie sitting in the chair beside her bed, surprisingly still awake. The minute his eyes found hers, she saw the concern in them. "What happened?" she asked, her own voice sounding hoarse and foreign to her ears.

Jamie blew out a breath as if he'd been holding it for hours. "You had a seizure. Again. I woke up to the sound of footsteps and realized it was the nurses and that you were seizing."

The crease between Eddie's eyebrows deepened. "Water," she croaked. Jamie poured her some from the pitcher by her bed and she drank from it as though she hadn't had anything to drink in days. When she spoke again, her voice sounded normal. "Did Dr. Coleman come in? I could have sworn I heard her voice. Did they give me Ativan?"

Jamie nodded. "Yes to both questions. Dr. Coleman heard you were here. She's going to be the one treating you. They gave you Ativan through your IV and increased your Reglan to combat the nausea that Ativan causes."

Now it was Eddie's turn to nod. "My head hurts," she said quietly, pressing a hand to her head. "What time is it?"

"A little after six in the morning," Jamie said, checking his watch. "You'll be due for more pain medicine in a couple hours. If I turn the light by your bed off do you think you could go back to sleep?"

Eddie thought about it. "Probably. I'm so tired." For reassurance, she peeked out into the hall, making absolutely sure that the officer was still stationed outside her room. He was.

Jamie nodded and leaned forward to kiss Eddie's forehead, leaving her skin tingling. She silently scolded her body for its inappropriate response. "I'm going to step outside and get some coffee and maybe call Danny. See if they have any more news."

Eddie nodded and Jamie switched the light off. She felt herself drifting off almost immediately, comforted by the fact that Jamie would be down the hall and there was the officer outside. Sleep claimed her within minutes.

* * *

 **Jamie**

The clock near the coffee machine read 6:11am when Jamie dialed Danny's number. His brother picked up after two rings. "Reagan," he answered, a default greeting for Danny and most other detectives he knew.

Jamie cut right to the chase. "Any news on Watts or Brian's other associate?"

"Good morning to you, too, little brother," Danny said dryly, coaxing a tiny smile out of Jamie. "As a matter of fact, I was just about to call you. We found the other associate's name. Brian's other minion is Dallin 'Dal' Cooper, thirty-three years old, also from Queens."

Jamie made a mental note of this information, wishing he had a pen and some paper with him. "Was Brian from Queens?"

"Yup. We don't have a current address for Dal yet, but I'm hoping that when we do, we won't find him dead like Andrew and Watts." Danny sighed deeply on the other end of the phone. "Hey, did you ask Eddie if she recognized Watts's name?"

"I asked and she said she didn't, but is there any way you could text me his picture? Maybe she'll recognize his face more than his name."

"Sure," Danny agreed. "We'll be going through Watts's place with a fine-tooth comb today and tomorrow and the day after that if that's what it takes. Surely we'll find something. Let's just hope what we find isn't even more associates we don't know about yet."

"Let's hope," Jamie concurred, taking a sip of his scalding coffee and wincing. "Will you let me go and show Watts's picture to the other residents in my building? The ones that are still there, at least. I need to make myself useful."

Danny was silent for a minute, and Jamie could once again hear phones ringing in the background. "Why?" Danny asked finally, sounding confused.

"Because Eddie and I are thinking that maybe Brian hired Watts to do his dirty work and then killed him, just like he did with Andrew Kirk," Jamie explained, taking another scalding sip. "If we're right, he's killed two people so far. I don't even want to picture what he would do to Eddie if he got ahold of her again." An involuntary shiver rocked through Jamie as that last sentence left his mouth.

"He won't. We'll make sure of that," Danny promised, sincerity coloring his tone. "If you need to go to Dad's or my place and shower and change, Linda said she can come stay with Eddie for a while. Just text her when you need her."

"I will. Thanks, Danny," Jamie said, smiling. They said their goodbyes and hung up, and Jamie finished his coffee, relieved at Linda's offer.

On his way back to Eddie's room, Jamie ran into Dr. Coleman, who greeted him with a warm smile. "I just checked in on Eddie," she informed him, stepping off to the side of the hallway. "She seems to be doing fine. She's sound asleep."

"Any idea what caused the seizure?" Jamie asked, afraid of what the answer might be.

Dr. Coleman seemed to think about it for a moment. Her expression turned grim. "Honestly, Jamie, I'm afraid it's the hematoma that caused it. I'm going to put Eddie on an anticonvulsant to go along with the Reglan and the corticosteroid. Seizures are a very common symptom of a subdural hematoma."

Jamie nodded, wishing he would have known this beforehand. Either way, he still would have been scared out of his mind. "So what's next?"

"Well, we'll do continuous scans to monitor the hematoma's shrinking over the next couple of days. Once we get her blood pressure and oxygen stabilized, I'm going to send you home with the medications she needs to take, and you can bring her back in for a follow-up or if she has any more symptoms."

Jamie merely nodded, not sure what else to say. Luckily, Dr. Coleman's phone buzzed and she retrieved it from her lab coat pocket. She excused herself with a smile and turned, walking down the hall with her phone to her ear.

Jamie turned to continue his trek to Eddie's room but was stopped short by his own cell phone ringing. Again, it was Danny. "Hello?" Jamie answered.

"Jamie, we got Dal, and he's not dead like Andrew and Watts. He's living at his parents' house still. Brian sure as hell had losers for friends," Danny said with a snort, and Jamie could picture him shaking his head as he said it.

Jamie smiled a little, shaking his head. "Did you bring him in?"

"You bet your ass we brought him in. He's being questioned right now. So far, he hasn't given Brian up. He's admitted to knowing him, but that's it. We're still trying, though, kid. Make sure you tell Eddie that we won't give up until he gives us _something_."

Jamie felt a tiny bit of hope, and quickly stamped it back down. _Don't get your hopes up,_ he told himself. "Alright. Thanks, Danny," Jamie said, and with that, they hung up. Quickly, he shoved his phone in his pocket and wandered back to Eddie's room, where he found her sound asleep again.

Jamie quietly crossed the room after pulling the door shut behind him and made his way in the dark to the chair beside Eddie's bed. He could see the lines of her face, and he could tell that she was frowning even in her sleep. Silently, he sat down in the chair – _his_ chair – and pulled it as close as it could get to the bed. The clock on the wall said that it was now 6:32am, and Jamie could slowly feel fatigue creeping in, settling in his bones.

After making sure his phone would wake him up if it rang, Jamie put his head down on the very edge of Eddie's bed, resting on his forearm, and he was asleep within seconds.

* * *

Jamie's watch read 9:21am when the shrill alert of a text message ripped him from sleep. The room was gold with the sunlight streaming through the windows, and Eddie was still fast asleep, her head hanging unnaturally to the side and her arm tangled in her oxygen tube. Leaning forward, Jamie untangled her arm and pulled her head up. Her eyelids fluttered but she didn't wake up, and for once, she looked peaceful.

Jamie picked up his phone and saw that the text message was from Danny:

 _Linda will be at the hospital at 11am to stay with Eddie for a while so you can get some rest. Come to Dad's house or mine. Eddie will be ok._

Smiling, Jamie responded: _Thanks. I'll see you later._ Part of him knew Danny was right when he said that Eddie would be okay, but lately he had been feeling like the rug could be ripped out from under both of them at any second. Part of him also knew that things would probably never be the same again. Even though his apartment itself wasn't damaged, it still wouldn't ever be the same again, and neither would Eddie's place. Brian had tainted them both, and that alone made him furious.

Jamie flipped the TV on and left it on low volume, just to have some background noise. He looked over at Eddie every once in a while and was happy to see that she was still sound asleep every time he checked. At around 10:15, a nurse Jamie hadn't seen yet came in to put more medication in Eddie's drip, and Jamie watched Eddie's eyes flutter and then open, her eyes a bright, electric blue in the sunlight.

"Sorry, Eddie," the nurse apologized. "I'm just giving you your pain medicine. We'll be taking you down for another scan in a couple hours, okay?"

Eddie nodded, giving a weak, sleepy smile, and watched the nurse as she quietly left the room. "Hi," she said to Jamie, her voice hoarse. "What time is it?"

Jamie checked his watch. "10:17am. How do you feel?" he asked her, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the edge of the bed.

She didn't answer. Her eyes looked glassy and unfocused, and Jamie knew what she was about to do before she did it and had the trash can in her lap within seconds. Heaving violently, Eddie emptied everything she'd eaten recently into that trash can, and Jamie rubbed her back until she was merely dry heaving. Trying not to puke himself, Jamie set the can to the side and took his seat, not wanting to crowd Eddie or overwhelm her.

"Well, I guess that answers my 'how do you feel' question," he said drily.

Much to his surprise, Eddie smiled, and it wasn't an entirely unconvincing smile either. "Guess so," she agreed. "Maybe they need to up my nausea medicine." She shrugged, looking out the window distractedly.

Jamie nodded in agreement and pressed the call button, and to their surprise, a male nurse came in. "Did you need something, Eddie?" he asked, looking Eddie over in a way that Jamie certainly wasn't a fan of.

"I vomited violently just now," Eddie informed him, sounding a little irate. I was wondering if my Reglan could be upped at all."

The nurse, whose name tag said Chase, looked like he was a little flustered. "Um..." He trailed off, staring between Jamie and Eddie awkwardly. "I'll have to ask Dr. Coleman, but... Um, I think we can do that."

Eddie shot Jamie a look. "'Kay. Thanks," she said to Chase, her tone flippant.

"Let me know if you need anything else," Chase said before rushing out of the room like he couldn't possibly get away quickly enough.

Eddie looked at Jamie with her eyes wide. "He was irritating," she observed.

Jamie nodded. "To say the least," he agreed. "I think you flustered him a little."

Eddie's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I don't think so," she said, shaking her head.

"Eddie, I don't think you realize the effect you have on people." _Including me,_ Jamie thought, thinking about all the times that she had merely smiled or cracked a suggestive joke and he'd nearly passed out.

"I guess not," Eddie mused, her eyes roaming over Jamie's face, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Jamie, unsure of what to say, decided to say nothing and Eddie didn't, either. The tense silence was shattered (thank God) when Linda walked in, smiling and holding what looked and smelled like a bag of food. _Linda to the rescue,_ Jamie thought, thrilled to be saved from the awkward silence that had fallen between him and Eddie.

"Hi!" Linda said cheerfully, bending down to give Jamie a hug and giving a very gentle one to Eddie, who Jamie noticed was cradling her hurt wrist to her chest.

It was only when he saw the shocked look on Eddie's face that Jamie realized she didn't know that Linda was coming. "Eddie, Linda offered to stay with you so I can go shower and get a change of clothes. Hopefully they'll let me in my apartment."

Eddie nodded, her expression somber at the mention of his half-burnt apartment building. "Thanks, Linda," she said, replacing the somberness with a smile.

"Thanks for doing this," Jamie echoed, standing from his chair. "Can I talk to you outside for a sec?" He jabbed a thumb to the hallway, and Linda followed him out, leaving a confused Eddie.

"Is something wrong?" Linda asked, pulling Eddie's door shut behind them.

Jamie sighed, unsure of where to start. "First off, she just vomited, again. They have her on Reglan for the nausea, yet she puked anyway, so I asked the nurse if they could up the nausea med. Secondly, there will be a police officer stationed outside her room again starting in about ten minutes, so always make sure he's still there before you leave her room. I saw Brian – the guy who assaulted her – downstairs."

Linda nodded, smiling at the worry that was apparent in Jamie's voice. "Jamie, I would never let anything happen to her. You know that," she assured him. "Anything else?"

Jamie nodded. "She has lashes on her back where the bastard hit her with something, and her dressings need to be changed again. Lastly, I caught her holding her wrist like it hurt, and I think it needs to be braced again."

"Duly noted. She'll be fine, Jamie." Linda smiled again and patted Jamie's arm before opening Eddie's door.

Eddie was staring out the window, still cradling her wrist. Jamie went over to her and bent down to kiss her head, ignoring the look he got from Linda. "I'll be back in a little while, Eddie. Call me if you need anything."

Eddie smiled and nodded. "I'll be fine, Jamie," she assured him, catching his hand quickly and giving it a squeeze.

Jamie thanked Linda one more time and then he was gone.

* * *

 **Eddie**

For the first hour Jamie was gone, Eddie and Linda talked about anything and everything, which made waiting on them to come get her for her scan a lot easier. The TV was on in the background, and Eddie heard the news say something about a winter storm. Her head snapped up and the TV had her full attention.

The headline read:

 **All five boroughs to be slammed with a severe winter storm in the next few days.**

 _Great,_ Eddie thought, realizing that if they didn't send her home, her and Jamie would be stuck in the hospital throughout the storm. "Do you think it's likely they'll release me?" Eddie asked Linda, trying not to get her hopes up.

"I think it's fairly likely," Linda replied, smiling in a way that made Eddie feel at ease. "Especially if they get your nausea under control. Even if there's no shrinkage of the hematoma, if you don't show more symptoms, they _should_ let you go and have Jamie or somebody else bring you in for a follow-up."

Eddie nodded, feeling fairly reassured. She also felt hungry, and when Linda saw her looking at the bag of what she assumed was food, she smiled and lifted the bag onto her lap. "Are you hungry?" she asked Eddie.

Eddie nodded, her mouth watering at the thought of food. "I actually am hungry, which is surprising since I just puked my guts out earlier."

They ate in silence. Eddie had just finished her sandwich and was about to open her bag of chips when two nurses came in, one male – the one who had looked her over from head to toe earlier that morning – and one female, the female one, whose name tag said Cheryl, being the only one she didn't recognize. Linda helped Eddie from the bed into the wheelchair.

The scan only took about twenty minutes, and to be honest, Eddie nearly fell asleep. By the time they got her out of the machine and back into the chair, she was drained. When they got to the floor her room was on, Linda was walking down the hall. "Going to get coffee and call Danny," she explained to Eddie with a smile. "I'll be back to your room in a minute." Eddie nodded in understanding and smiled tiredly back at her.

After Eddie gave a smile to the police officer that was outside her room, the female nurse helped Eddie back into bed while the male nurse took the wheelchair away, giving Eddie one last leering look that she didn't appreciate.

Almost immediately after the nurses left, Eddie began to doze off. The TV was still on with a meteorologist going on and on about the winter storm that was supposedly coming.

Within minutes, Eddie was too deeply asleep to hear the police officer outside her room leave to answer his ringing phone, or the creak of her door and the heavy footsteps into her room that followed.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's note:** Wow, you guys. The support I've been getting on this story is phenomenal, and I wanted to say that I'm sorry for taking so long to update. Just know I appreciate you all so much. Also, I now have a writing blog where I'll be posting things about my stories and such. Please visit it at .com

* * *

 **Chapter Ten**

 **Jamie**

Jamie was just getting out of the shower at Danny's house when his cell phone rang from the pocket of his jeans, which he'd discarded on the floor. Fearing that it may be about Eddie, he dried his hands off quickly and dug his phone out. Fear was hot in his stomach when he saw Linda's name on the caller ID.

"Hello?" he answered, pulling a clean pair of sweats on that he'd had in the car with him. "Is Eddie okay?"

"Jamie, don't panic, but..." As Linda trailed off, Jamie's heart leapt into his throat. "I went out to the hall to call Danny and get a cup of coffee, and when I left the police officer was still guarding Eddie's room, so I don't know how he got in..."

Linda was hysterical, and Jamie was well on his way there, too. "Brian? Are you talking about Brian?" As he was speaking, Jamie was pulling a t-shirt over his head, hands shaking.

"I don't know. When I came back, a guy wearing scrubs with a mask on was leaving Eddie's room with a wheelchair, so I assumed at first that it was a nurse. But his demeanor was so odd..." Jamie heard Linda take a deep, shaky breath on the other end of the phone. "Just please get here as quickly as you can. I've already called Danny."

"Okay. Don't leave her side, Linda," Jamie warned before hanging up.

The drive back to the hospital seemed to take hours but in reality was only ten or fifteen minutes. When he got to the hospital, he ran up to Eddie's floor, his heart pounding painfully in his chest. The police officer was outside Eddie's room, but it was a different one than when he'd left. He intended to find out where the officer was when Brian or whoever it was got in, but it would have to wait.

In Eddie's room, Linda was standing to Eddie's left, while Dr. Coleman was to her right. "What the hell happened?" Jamie demanded, his eyes landing on Eddie's sleeping form.

Linda grabbed Jamie by the elbow and lead him out into the hall, her face taut with worry. "Like I said, I went to get coffee and call Danny, and when I came back, a man in blue scrubs was leaving Eddie's room with a wheelchair. I thought nothing of it until I realized that Eddie was completely unconscious, not just asleep."

"He drugged her, didn't he?" Jamie asked, scrubbing a hand over his face.

Linda nodded. "There's an injection mark on her left arm. Looks like he shot her up with some type of incredibly strong sedative."

Jamie thought about this for a moment. Was the man posing as a nurse Brian or one of his minions? There was no doubt that he – whoever _he_ was – was going to take Eddie. That was obvious and the visual of it sent a chill down Jamie's spine.

"What did he look like?" Jamie asked, lowering his voice.

Linda seemed to think about it for a moment, chewing her lip like Eddie always did. "He was probably six foot one, dark brown hair, brown eyes... I couldn't see anything beyond that." An odd look crossed her face and something seemed to dawn on her. "He also had a scar across his forehead."

With shaking fingers, Jamie pulled his phone out of his pocket and typed Linda's description down, making sure to note what she said about the scar. When Eddie regained consciousness, he was planning to ask her once he was sure she could handle it.

Before Jamie or Linda could say anything else, Danny and Baez walked up behind them, both of their faces pinched up. "What happened?" Danny asked, kissing Linda on the cheek.

"I was coming back from getting coffee and calling you," Linda began, motioning towards Danny, "and a guy was coming out of Eddie's room with a wheelchair. He had a mask on his face. There was a huge scar on his forehead."

"Can you describe him?" Baez asked, with her pen poised over her notepad.

"He was probably six one, he had dark brown hair, his eyes were brown... That's all I could see." Linda rattles it off again like she has it memorized, and Danny and Baez both wrote it down.

"What happened then?" Danny asked, looking at Linda.

"I went to Eddie's room to see if she was okay, and it looked like she was just asleep. But I shook her to try to wake her up, and that was when I realized that she was unconscious. He drugged her. There's an injection spot on her left arm." Linda's voice was shaky, and Danny rubbed her back gently. "He must have heard me coming because he rushed out. He looked right at me."

Feeling as though he had gathered all the information he could, Jamie excused himself from the conversation and re-entered Eddie's room. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was fast, unnaturally so. Jamie studied her for a minute and walked closer, staring at her just as Dr. Coleman seemed to be. When she heard Jamie walk up, Dr. Coleman looked at him, her face pulled tight.

"Do you have any idea what he shot her up with?" Jamie asked, afraid to hear the answer but feeling the strong need to know what had been done to his strong, capable partner to put her into unconsciousness.

"We're waiting for tests to come back on Eddie's blood," the doctor said, studying a clipboard in her hands now, "but I have a feeling it's something very strong, like Flurazepam. Eddie's blood pressure and oxygen are stable now, so we took her off of the IV, so that's why he shot it into her arm." Dr. Coleman looked unbelievably concerned, which scared Jamie even more than he already was, if it was possible. "Whoever it was came prepared." But the look on the doctor's face told Jamie she knew _exactly_ who it was from what she had been told.

"Did her scan results come in?" he asked, taking his usual seat beside Eddie's bed and fighting the urge to hold her hand.

Dr. Coleman nodded. "They did. Before this happened, we were planning on sending her home tonight. The hematoma is already shrinking, thanks to the corticosteroid and oxygen therapy. She did throw up once while you were gone, but the Reglan has been upped again. Once I send her home, one of the medicines I'll prescribe her is Zofran."

Jamie nodded, trying to take everything in. It was all incredibly overwhelming, which was saying a lot for somebody who kept the streets safe every single day. "So how far does this whole thing set her back?" Jamie asked, able to see the massive injection mark on Eddie's arm.

"I'm keeping her one more night, and if no symptoms persist and there aren't any repercussions from whatever she was shot up with, she'll go home tomorrow afternoon. I want her to be home safely and out of the cold before this snowstorm hits."

 _Don't remind me,_ Jamie thought, remembering what he'd heard earlier at Danny's house on the news that he had playing in the background of the otherwise quiet house. Although he was immensely relieved Eddie would be released and that her hematoma was shrinking, two thoughts haunted him.

First off, what if Eddie were to get sick after she was released and the snowstorm was so bad the ambulance couldn't reach her? And secondly, where would they go? Danny had offered his house, but Jamie didn't want to crowd the family of four and make Eddie even more stir-crazy than she already was.

Before he could think about it any further, Jamie's thoughts were interrupted by Danny entering the room, closely followed by Baez and Linda. Nobody said anything, and nobody had a chance to before Eddie suddenly seemed to sense the numerous people in the room and began to stir. Jamie's heart leapt with relief, and it was then that Jamie realized there had been a fear sitting in him that Eddie may never wake up.

Dr. Coleman, Jamie, Danny, Baez, and Linda all watched closely as Eddie tried to come to. There was no moment of confusion, no look of obliviousness. Eddie's facial expression went straight to panic, her eyes wide and her hands going straight to her left arm, her fingers running straight over the needle mark there. Jamie was the first who went to comfort her, putting one hand on her arm and the other on her knee like he found himself doing a lot lately. Nobody said a word.

"What-?" Eddie started, her eyes roaming over Jamie's face and then over everybody in the room. "Brian?" The name sounded slurred, but it confirmed exactly what every single person in the room already knew.

Jamie nodded, trying to keep his facial expression neutral or even calming. "Hey, it's okay," he whispered to Eddie, squeezing her arm. "You were drugged but you're safe now."

"Was it Brian?" she sputtered, her speech still slurred.

Jamie looked at Danny, who gave an almost unnoticeable shrug. "We don't know yet, Eddie. But we have reason to believe so, yes," Danny said, his voice soft in an obvious attempt not to alarm Eddie. But it was too late for that. "What do you remember?"

Eddie thought about it for a minute, her eyes glassy and unfocused. The blank look on her face scared Jamie more than he cared to admit. "I remember... I was asleep, I think. Linda had just left to go call Danny. And I woke up to a sharp pain in my arm. And then I was out again." To everybody's surprise, Eddie's blue eyes filled with tears. She swiped them away as quickly as they fell. "I only saw him for a second. Not long enough to see anything."

Danny and Baez nodded in unison. "We'll grab whatever security footage the hospital has and bring you the shots. See if you recognize him." Just as Jamie was wondering when they would ask Eddie about the scar, Danny did. "Linda said that the man she saw coming out of your room had a scar on his forehead. Did Brian have one? Do you remember?"

Immediately, realization flashed across Eddie's face, and they all knew. It was him. She nodded furiously, with another emotion on her face that Jamie couldn't quite read. "That was him. I gave him that scar," she said, shocking everybody when the corners of her mouth tugged upward in an almost-smile. When everybody, even Dr. Coleman, looked at her questioningly, she elaborated. "It was when we were dating. I stabbed him with my car keys. I had gotten home late, and he came out and punched me in the driveway... So I stabbed him."

Jamie smiled, feeling proud and a little amused. _Bastard got what he deserved_. Danny smiled, too. "So it was definitely him," he said, looking at Baez, who nodded and jotted something down on her notepad.

Then, something occurred to Jamie. "How was the bastard even able to get in? What happened to the officer outside her door?"

Danny and Baez exchanged a look, and Jamie and Eddie both knew what was coming. "He could potentially lose his shield. He left to answer a call from his wife. Looks like Brian took the opportunity. There's no doubt he was going to try to take Eddie after he drugged her."

An involuntary shiver ran through Jamie and Eddie both. "Yeah, and the scary thing is that he probably would have gotten away with it had he not heard Linda's footsteps." Jamie gave Linda a grateful smile, and Eddie followed suit. Danny smiled proudly.

Eddie looked up at Dr. Coleman. "When will I be able to go home?" she asked eagerly, her face hopeful.

Dr. Coleman smiled and patted Eddie's shoulder. "We were able to take your IV out and, as you can tell, your oxygen is gone. Your scans came back and your hematoma has already started to shrink thanks to the corticosteroid and the oxygen therapy. If you don't present any more symptoms, you'll be going home tomorrow."

Eddie looked at Jamie and for the first time in a while, he saw a bright, genuine smile cross her face. He smiled back, unable to help it. "So I'll need to bring her back for a follow-up?" he asked Dr. Coleman.

"Yes. And if she presents more symptoms after release, get her back to the hospital immediately," the doctor informed him, putting emphasis on _immediately_. Jamie nodded in understanding.

The room was silent for a minute, and it was Danny who finally spoke. "Alright, kids. We're gonna go grab the security footage and then we'll be back in a bit so you can make a positive ID." After he kissed Linda on the cheek and started to steer Baez toward the door, Danny turned to look at Eddie. "We're gonna catch him, Janko."

For the first time since all this started, Jamie and Eddie both genuinely believed him.

* * *

Eddie fell quickly back to sleep after Danny, Baez, Linda, and Dr. Coleman left. Her arms were crossed over her stomach, and her face was relaxed. Jamie flicked the TV back on and left it down low, switching it onto the news. He stilled when he read the headline:

 **Winter storm already affecting parts of upstate New York, headed south.**

 _Great_ , he thought. He quickly directed his thoughts towards something else, but where his mind wandered wasn't any better. He couldn't help but think about what kind of damage all of this would do to Eddie, and about what he could possibly do to help her. Then he remembered that Eddie had scheduled an appointment with a psychiatrist, which she had obviously missed. Feeling a little like he was violating her privacy but knowing there was no other way to find out, he grabbed Eddie's phone and scrolled through her missed calls.

There was a New York-area number that hadn't been programmed into Eddie's phone, and whoever it was had left a voicemail.

 _"Hi, Edit. This is Jessica from the office of Dr. Iris Ackerman. I'm calling in regards to an appointment you missed. If you would like to call to reschedule, call me back at this number at your earliest convenience. Thank you."_

Jamie saved the message, trying to make a mental note to ask Eddie about it when she woke up, but for now, he put the phone back where it was and leaned back in his chair, trying to put the whole psychiatrist thing out of his mind.

As he listened to the news playing in the background, Jamie found his eyelids becoming heavy, and before he knew it, he had dozed off, jerking awake at the sound of footsteps, filled with panic. Relief washed over him when he realized that not only was Eddie okay and still breathing, she was awake, and she was talking to Danny.

"Jamie, you okay?" Eddie asked, eyebrows raised.

Jamie glanced at the clock on the wall, surprised that it was nearly six o'clock in the evening. He nodded, scrubbing a hand over his face. "I just dozed off," he explained before turning his gaze to Danny. "Do you have anything?"

Danny nodded, his facial expression grim. He briefed Eddie quickly on the whole Dal Cooper situation, realizing that she had been asleep when Jamie had called him that morning. He explained that Dallin was Brian's other accomplice, that he was thirty-three years old and from Queens. "Does that name sound familiar to you at all, Eddie?" he asked, hope in his voice.

Eddie mulled that over for a minute. Jamie could tell she was turning Cooper's name over in her mind. "No," she said finally. "Do you have a picture of him?" Danny nodded and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, pulling Cooper's mug shot and handing Eddie the phone.

Her facial expression told them _everything_.

"Do you recognize him, Eddie?" Danny asked eagerly, a deep crease between his eyebrows.

Eddie swallowed hard and she handed the phone back to Danny liked it had burned her. When she spoke, her voice was hoarse and filled with some emotion neither Danny nor Jamie could identify. "I've seen him... He's the man I've seen outside my apartment and a few other places in the past. Usually it's when I'm out to dinner or coming home from work."

Fear shot through Jamie and truly, he didn't know what to think. "When did this start?" Danny asked, that damn notepad in his hand again.

"About five months ago," Eddie admitted, biting her lip. "At first, I thought nothing of it because I only saw him at restaurants or when I was leaving yoga, and it was only a few times. But then when I saw him outside my apartment a few weeks ago, I knew... I knew it wasn't innocent or a coincidence." To Danny and Jamie's horror, Eddie's eyes filled with tears. "I'm so sorry I didn't say anything. I was so focused on Brian that I didn't pay enough attention to anything else."

Unable to stop himself, Jamie pulled his chair forward and grabbed Eddie's hand, squeezing it gently and ignoring the look he got from Danny. "It's okay, Eddie. It's not your fault. None of this is," Jamie assured her, and Danny nodded in agreement.

Eddie swiped her tears away with her free hand. "Anything I can do to help, let me know," Eddie said to Danny. "Did you arrest Dallin?"

Danny nodded, pulling a file folder out that he had tucked beneath his arm. "We did. He's in custody. We finally got him to give up where Brian is known to be staying, but as usual, the bastard is one step ahead of us. He's gone." Danny shook the look of frustration off his face and opened the folder. "Anyway, I brought a screen grab of the surveillance footage from the hallway outside your room. Is this him?"

Jamie and Eddie both peered at the picture Danny was holding, and they both knew immediately. It was grainy and the color was dull and unflattering, but there was no doubt in either of their minds that it was Brian. Eddie's eyes filled with tears again. "It's him. I would know that face anywhere," she said, her voice wavering. Jamie squeezed her hand again and smiled proudly.

"Alright, Eddie. Thank you both," Danny said, and he was smiling, too, probably almost as proud as Jamie was. Eddie was even more brave than either of them realized. "I'll call Baez, let her know we have a positive ID, and we'll go from there."

Jamie and Eddie both thanked Danny profusely and then he was gone, leaving the two alone in the silence.

* * *

 **The next morning**

 **9:02am**

By the time Eddie awoke the next morning around 9:00, Jamie had a plan. He had called Danny, and it looked as though Eddie's apartment was more than ready to be moved back into. According to Renzulli, Jamie still had over a week of vacation time left, meaning he had another week to stay with Eddie and try to keep her safe. And knowing that they couldn't go back to his place yet and that Eddie would object to staying with anybody else, it was decided.

They would stay at Eddie's place together.

At first, Eddie was apprehensive. "I'm afraid I'll just be a sitting duck in there, Jamie," she argued, and Jamie could tell she was more scared than irritated.

"Eddie, he can get to you just as easily anywhere. And TARU set up everything you can possibly imagine in your apartment," he explained as a nurse was changing the dressings on Eddie's back. "Window sensors, multiple locks, all sorts of alarms, a panic button... everything. Plus they're putting two armed officers downstairs."

Eddie pursed her lips, probably knowing that her partner had a point. "Did you clear this with Danny?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.

Jamie nodded. "I did. He said whenever you're released, we can go straight there."

Eddie nodded but said nothing more. The next two hours passed by in a blur, with few words said between the two of them. Jamie could tell that Eddie's mind was on all kinds of other things, so he didn't push her to talk. Finally, at around 11:30, Dr. Coleman came in to personally deliver Eddie's discharge papers and her prescriptions.

"I'm sending you home with a prescription for Dilantin, which is an anti-seizure medication, as well as Zofran, a corticosteroid, and a diuretic. The diuretic and corticosteroid will reduce the swelling, even though your hematoma is stable," Dr. Coleman explained as Eddie signed her discharge papers. "And Jamie, if she has _any_ symptoms, any at all, bring her to a clinic or to the ER _immediately_."

Jamie nodded and took the prescriptions that the doctor was holding out to him. "What symptoms specifically do I need to be looking for?"

"Mainly confused or slurred speech, balance problems, inability to walk, nausea or vomiting, and, of course, seizures. And please, for the love of God, don't let her fall again," Dr. Coleman warned, looking from Jamie to Eddie and back to Jamie. "It could be fatal. And keep her out of the cold as much as possible. Her immune system is weakened, so she could get sick very easily."

Jamie nodded, reaching out to shake the doctor's hand, and thanked her. Eddie followed suit, thanking her twice. "It was my pleasure," Dr. Coleman said genuinely. "Please don't hesitate to call the number I gave you. I'm always available."

They thanked the doctor again, and then she was gone. The nurse finished Eddie's dressings and wrapped her cracked wrist up tight in her brace again at the request of Jamie, who had caught her once again cradling it close to her. Chase, the poor nurse that Eddie had flustered like crazy the day before, came up soon with a wheelchair, staring at Eddie so blatantly that it was almost comical. Jamie and Eddie exchanged a smile.

Jamie hooked his hands beneath Eddie's arms and helped her into the wheelchair, gently moving between her and Chase, hoping the guy would get the memo. The female nurse reminded Jamie to change Eddie's dressings every few hours and continue to wake her throughout the night, just in case. Eddie scowled at both Chase and the female nurse, especially as Chase wheeled her downstairs, Jamie close by her side with their packed clothes and toiletries hanging in a bag over his shoulder.

After Eddie was safely tucked in Jamie's car, bundled up in three layers of clothes against the frigid air, Jamie thanked Chase – as much as he didn't want to – and climbed into the car. Both of them felt some of the weight lift off their shoulders as he pulled out of the parking lot.

After picking up Eddie's new medications, they stopped to get something to eat. Jamie was thrilled when Eddie wolfed down half a cheeseburger, making sure to take her nausea medication first. They took the rest of their food back to Eddie's apartment, both of them with mixed emotions swirling inside of them.

As they walked up to the entrance to Eddie's apartment building, they passed two armed officers standing by the doors, and they let themselves feel just a little bit of comfort.

But inside both of them was the thought that those two officers may still not be enough to keep them safe.

And they would be right to think so.


	11. Chapter 11

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm so sorry I've been taking so long to update. I just try to make these chapters the best quality I can, and sometimes that takes a lot of time. And sometimes, as you guys know, life gets in the way and I don't have time to write and bang out a chapter quickly. Anyway, this one isn't super long, but it's eventful, and the end was inspired by a dream I had. I hope you enjoy it. Don't forget to visit my writing blog: . . You can discuss anything you want with me there, especially the latest Blue Bloods episodes!**

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven**

 **Eddie**

Going back to her apartment was far more difficult than Eddie had ever imagined. Jamie, of course, had to clear the apartment first, just in case Brian or somebody he had enlisted had come back, but Eddie found that even once the apartment was cleared, she didn't want to go in.

Jamie was understanding as always, and he coaxed her inside by reminding her gently that she was more at risk out in the hallway than she would be inside her locked apartment. Too exhausted from climbing the stairs to argue, she stayed close to Jamie, who gingerly put his arm around her. She leaned into him as he locked her apartment door behind them, punching in the default alarm code that TARU had set up, a temporary one until Eddie could choose another herself.

Exhausted, Eddie fell onto the couch immediately and wolfed down the rest of her burger, chasing it with Dr. Pepper and her pain medication. Jamie eyed her with worry written all over his face, and she avoided his gaze. She couldn't help but think about how he had found her on the very couch she was sitting on, drenched in blood, raped and nearly beaten to death. It made her sick to think about, and she was glad she didn't remember all of it, even though what she did remember was bad enough. She also felt badly that Jamie _did_ remember, and that he would probably be haunted by it for a long time, despite the outcome.

"You do know you don't have to stay here with me, right?" Eddie asked. Truthfully, though, the last thing she wanted – or needed – was for him to leave. The thought struck fear in her, and that in itself scared her. She knew she shouldn't need him, her _work_ partner, for consolation or to feel safe, and she tried to convince herself that it was because it was him who found her, who got her to the hospital, saved her life, and stayed by her side through it all.

Jamie shot her a 'who do you think you're fooling?' look and an amused smile. "Eddie, come on. I'm not going anywhere, and you know it. I still have a week of vacation time left, anyway."

Eddie nodded, pursing her lips. "I just don't want to put you out anymore than I already have." She had taught herself to not need anybody for anything, and now it bothered her that she had come to depend on Jamie so much. "And I don't like that you're blowing through all your vacation time because Brian decided to try to kill me that night. It's not fair to you." Her response sounded blunt even to her own ears, but it was the reality. Brian _had_ tried to kill her, plain and simple, and there was no way to sugarcoat it to make it sound any better.

"Honestly, Eddie," Jamie began, plopping down on the arm of the couch, "there's nothing I would rather blow through my vacation time for. You're my partner and one of my best friends, and I'll always be here for you."

Eddie's blue eyes filled with tears at Jamie's words, and she felt Jamie's cool fingers on her back through her thin t-shirt. She wanted to utter a "thank you" but she couldn't find her voice. It was like everything that had happened was hitting her out of nowhere, and Jamie's words had just facilitated it.

A lot of men – ones she'd dated, even – said they weren't good or didn't know how to deal with crying women. Jamie definitely was not one of those men, no matter what he said. He always knew exactly what to say or do when she cried, and it was one of the things she loved about him, though she would never admit it for anything.

Eddie swiped the tears from her face and the ones out of her eyes before they could fall, and when she looked at Jamie, he was smiling a little, his hand still resting on her back. "You okay?" he asked her, and she could still feel his cool fingers on her skin.

She nodded, and when she spoke, her voice was shaky. "I'm fine. Just had a moment. Sorry," she said apologetically, although she didn't feel embarrassed like she would if she had cried around other men. She had been so embarrassed when she'd cried around Renzulli, but it wasn't that way with Jamie at all.

Eddie could have sworn she heard Jamie chuckle, as if her apologizing for crying was absurd. "Eddie, you don't have to apologize. You've been through a lot. You have every right to cry, and you can cry to me anytime you want."

Eddie smiled, nodding. "Thank you. Not just for this... For everything."

Jamie smiled back, giving Eddie's shoulder a slight squeeze. "You're welcome, partner."

Even though Eddie was smiling a little now, tears continued to fall anyway, and Jamie continued to sit by her silently with his hand still resting on her back. After a few more minutes, Eddie swiped the tears from her cheeks and sat back against the couch, trying to take everything in. Of course, all the blood had been wiped from the floor, but the couch was still stained, and Eddie found herself looking at the rust-colored smear no matter how much she tried to ignore it. She covered it quickly with her leg, trying hard to resist the pull to stare at it.

Probably only trying to break the silence and get Eddie's mind off everything as much as possible, Jamie said, "Don't be mad but I looked at your phone while you were asleep to make sure Brian hadn't texted you and there was a message from that psychiatrist or counselor or whoever. Doctor...?" he trailed off, obviously spacing on the doctor's name.

Irritated about the "invasion of privacy" thing, Eddie shot him a sideways glare. "Dr. Ackerman," she said, remembering that Dr. Ackerman had no idea that she had been in the hospital and was probably mad that Eddie hadn't showed. "Shit. I'll call her later."

"Language, Janko. Jesus," Jamie said with a smile and a wink that melted her completely and made her feel a little lightheaded. Or maybe that was the pain medicine. Either way, she needed a nap, and Jamie seemed to read her mind. "Are you tired?"

Eddie nodded. "I think I want to take a quick nap." _But I don't want to be alone_ , she wanted to add but couldn't bring herself to.

Luckily, she didn't have to. "Do you want me to stay with you? If not I'll just stay out here."

Eddie smiled, relieved. "Can you stay with me?" she asked, her voice quiet, her cheeks flaming as she looked down at her hands.

Jamie said nothing and instead answered by pulling her up from the couch by her good wrist, once again holding her steady as she wobbled on her feet. Slowly, Eddie walked down the hall to her bedroom with Jamie close behind her. And that's when she saw it.

On her bed was the folder that had been missing last time her and Jamie had been here, the folder that contained all of the records of text messages and phone calls from Brian over the course of the last month or so.

"What is that?" Jamie asked, even though Eddie was sure he had an inkling. "Is that...?"

Eddie nodded, feeling like she'd been kicked in the gut. "Yeah. The records." The realization hit them both like a ton of bricks. "He's been here. _Somebody_ has been here," Eddie said, her voice tight with fear. Carefully, she picked the folder up, handling it like it was a bomb.

Jamie walked up directly behind her and she felt his hand on the small of her back, his fingers absentmindedly running over her skin through her t-shirt as he looked over her shoulder. "Is it all there?"

Eddie opened the folder and looked through it, grateful that she had numbered all the pages, and noticed immediately that page nine, a letter from Brian that was waiting for her one night when she got home from work, was missing. "No. There's one page missing." Then, it hit her, and anger ripped through her. "The only page where his letters passed creepy and went straight to threatening. He threatened to beat me to death and throw my body into the Hudson." She swallowed hard, a lump forming in her throat. A chill rocked through her, and she felt like she may pass out.

Eddie wobbled on her feet again and her knees gave out. Jamie called out her name, his voice full of panic, and caught her, cradling her against his side until he could lower her to the bed, dropping to his own knees in front of her. "Eddie, I need you to breathe. It's okay," Jamie soothed, rubbing his hands up and down her arms. "Everything will be okay. We can worry about this when you wake up."

Too tired, terrified, and lightheaded to argue, Eddie kicked off her shoes and slid under the covers, which were already pulled back. Jamie pulled the covers over her and just for a minute, his hand rested on Eddie's cheek, his fingers leaving her skin tingling. "I'll be right here, okay? It's gonna be okay. I'm not going anywhere," he reassured her, and all she could do was smile and nod in response, too tired to really say what she felt.

Finally, as Eddie fell asleep, a slurred "Thank you" slipped from her lips, and she was out.

* * *

 **Jamie**

Jamie watched Eddie sleep for half an hour, making sure she stayed asleep before he quickly ran to get his cell phone from the living room, returning to the room to find Eddie still sound asleep. He immediately texted Danny to tell him about the sudden reappearance of the missing records and the missing letter, and his phone quickly vibrated with phone call. It was Danny.

Silencing the ringer quickly so as not to wake Eddie, Jamie slipped out into the hall and answered. "Hello?"

Jamie could hear Danny breathing heavy in the background, and when he spoke, his voice was riddled with anxiety. "How the hell did he get in?"

"It must have happened before TARU installed everything and before the security was downstairs," Jamie concluded, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Either way, Eddie is terrified, and I don't know how to make her feel better."

Danny sighed deeply. "What did the missing letter say? Did Eddie tell you?"

"Yeah, apparently Brian said in the letter that he would 'beat Eddie to death and dump her in the Hudson'." The words sent chills down Jamie's spine. "Danny, he nearly _did_ beat her to death, and we're constantly one step behind him. I truly don't know how much more Eddie can take before she loses it completely."

"Eddie's strong, kid. She'll make it," Danny assured him, and deep down, Jamie knew he was right. Eddie was one of the strongest people he knew, and most people would have broken down long ago. But he also knew that even before Eddie was nearly killed by Brian, she had dealt with him and his minions stalking her for weeks, and all of it together was starting to bring her down.

"I just hate it, Danny," Jamie said, shaking his head. "She hardly sleeps and when she does, she has nightmares. She's scared and jumpy all the time now. He didn't kill her, but he's taken her life still. She's not the same." The more Jamie thought about it, the more furious he got, and he knew he needed to end the conversation. "Anyway, Eddie is finally asleep, so I probably need to go before she wakes up and panics."

"Baez and I will be by in a few hours to pick up those records," Danny informed him, and Jamie could once again hear phones ringing in the background. "Dal still isn't cracking. We're still trying, though. And hey, if you or Janko need anything, please let Linda or I know. We're here for you."

Jamie smiled and thanked Danny before pressing the END button. He stuck his cell phone in his pocket before returning to Eddie's room, thinking he would find her sleeping soundly. But that wasn't what he found at all. She was tossing and turning, bunching the comforter up in her hands and whipping her head from side to side, obviously in the midst of some horrible nightmare. In that moment, as Jamie ran to comfort her, he wished Brian dead for what he had done to Eddie.

Jamie quickly took a seat on the edge of Eddie's bed and put both hands on her shoulders in an attempt to still her, but it backfired and she only thrashed worse. He called out her name. Once. Twice. Three times. Finally, his voice penetrated the nightmarish bubble she was apparently in, and she opened her eyes. Her face was full of panic and confusion, but when her eyes focused on him, the tension in her body seemed to drop away and she melted into his hands.

"Jamie?" Eddie asked, her voice raspy and full of an emotion he couldn't quite identify.

Jamie put one hand to the side of her beautiful face and smoothed the hair back from her forehead. "Yeah, it's me. You're okay. I think you just had a nightmare."

Eddie nodded, and tears formed in her eyes. "It was so real," she cried, shaking her head as tears spilled from her eyes and down her cheeks. "Will this ever stop? Will I ever be able to sleep again without constantly having nightmares?" There was undoubtedly anger in her voice, but her face was full of pure heartbreak.

"I don't know, sweetheart," Jamie said, surprised as the term of endearment, which he had never used, slipped from his lips. "I hope so. But no matter what, I'll be here for you every step of the way. You won't be alone."

Eddie smiled a little, but the smile was broken, and that in turn broke Jamie's heart. Quickly and thinking about it, he pulled Eddie off the bed and to his chest, and her arms wrapped around him tight as she buried her face in his shoulder. He gently rubbed her back and let her cry until her cries were nothing but hiccups and sniffles, and then nothing at all.

Eddie slowly pulled back and swiped the tears from her face with the back of her good hand. Jamie pushed strands of hair back that had stuck to her face from the tears, and Eddie leaned into his hand. "Do you think you can go back to sleep?" he asked her, his hand still resting on her face, his fingers subconsciously stroking her skin.

Eddie shrugged, her face leaned into his palm. "I can try." She looked down for a minute and then looked back up at Jamie with tired, bloodshot, haunted eyes. "Will you stay?"

Jamie smiled gently, nodding. "Of course. I'll be right here, I promise."

Eddie nodded and turned over on her right side, her back to Jamie. Jamie stayed where he was and put his hand on Eddie's back, rubbing it gently so as not to hurt the wounds on her back.

Jamie stayed directly next to her until her breathing evened out and her eyes slipped closed before he took a seat in the corner of the room. He promised Eddie he would stay by her side, and that's exactly what he did.

* * *

 **Eddie**

 **Three Hours Later**

When Eddie awoke, Jamie was sitting in the chair in the corner of her bedroom, sound asleep, hands clasped in his lap, head lolled back. Eddie smiled at the sight and stood up, but her smile quickly disappeared when pain shot through her legs and back. She yelped, and Jamie awoke immediately and was by her side.

"Eddie, what's wrong?" he asked her, looking over her for any additional injuries.

Eddie shook her head, waving him off. "I think I just need my pain medicine. My legs and arms hurt."

Jamie nodded, his face pinched in concern. "Okay. I'll go get it."

Eddie shook her head again. "I'll come with you. I need a snack or something anyway."

Jamie agreed reluctantly and Eddie followed him to the kitchen, slow and halfway limping. Jamie watched her carefully as he opened her medication bottle, and Eddie was about to take the pills from his hand when there was a knock at the door. Her heart leapt into her throat, and from the look on his face, Jamie's did, too.

Jamie dropped Eddie's pills on the counter and frantically ran to the door after grabbing his weapon, looking out the peephole while Eddie cowered behind him. Apparently unable to see anything, Jamie opened the door carefully and even though there was nobody standing there and nobody in the hallway, there _was_ something on the floor in front of the door. When Eddie tried to see, Jamie gently pushed her behind him, holstering his weapon, clutching the object in his hand, and closing the door tightly behind him.

The object in Jamie's hands was an envelope with **EDDIE** written in bold, thick letters. Heart pounding, Eddie took the envelope from Jamie and ripped it open with her thumb, hands shaking violently.

Inside was something the size of an index card, and Eddie read what was on it twice before she processed what it said. In bold, capital letters were the words **GET DOWN.**

Eddie's heart once again leapt into her throat and she managed to shout "Get down!" to Jamie before two loud _pop_ s sounded and Eddie and Jamie hit the floor.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

 **Jamie**

Ringing. A shrill, high-pitched ringing sound filled Jamie's ears the minute he came to, and there was a dull ache in his head. Over the ringing, he could hear a bizarre alarm-like sound. It hit him then that it was the window sensor alarm. After that piece fell in to place, then he remembered: Brian had shot through Eddie's window and set the sensor off.

 _Eddie_.

Suddenly, everything came back to him. There had been an envelope. Eddie had taken it from him and opened it, and the next thing he knew, she was telling him to get down.

With panic hot and tight in his stomach, Jamie first looked himself over for injuries, thankfully finding none except a knot on the back of his head, and then he rose to his knees. When his eyes landed on her, his heart leapt into his throat. Eddie was laying on her side, blood on one arm, not entirely conscious but groaning in pain. Jamie immediately examined her for gunshot wounds where the blood was, but found nothing, realizing quickly that a bullet must have just grazed her arm.

But what Jamie was most worried about was Eddie's head. Dr. Coleman had said to not ever let Eddie fall again. And now she had most likely hit her head on the floor, which had probably caused who-knows-what.

Quickly, Jamie rolled Eddie onto her back, and her eyes snapped open, glazed and unfocused, yet full of panic. "Jamie?" she said, her voice hoarse and cracking.

Jamie nodded, his hand on the side of her face, fingers stroking her cheek, something he had found himself doing a lot lately. "Yeah, it's me. What hurts?" he asked her, eyes scanning her body for injuries.

Eddie seemed to think about it for a minute, wiggling her toes and fingers and examining her left arm, panic written all over her face. "My arm hurts. And my head." She put her right hand to the back of her head, probing, and by the look on her face, there was obviously something back there. Jamie put his hand where hers had been and fear shot through him when he realized there was a knot on the back of her head, too, the second one in just a few weeks.

Tears were streaming down Eddie's face, and Jamie once again saw the vulnerable version of his strong, beautiful, fearless partner, a side of her he had only seen just recently after everything that had happened with Brian. It was a scary thing to see, and he was sure Eddie felt as helpless as he did in the midst of all this unrelenting chaos.

But one thing was certain: those bullets, the bullets that had shattered Eddie's windows, were meant to take Jamie out, not Eddie. But now Eddie was hurt, too, for what seemed like the thousandth time in weeks, and that made Jamie angrier than anything else... even the fact that the bullets were meant for him. He realized in that moment, more than ever, the depth of his feelings for Eddie.

 _Focus_.

With his hand resting on Eddie's leg, rubbing soothing circles as his strong partner laid there and cried, Jamie grabbed his cell phone and called for help, immediately calling Danny afterwards, explaining that there had been an attack on them at Eddie's apartment, and that backup was needed.

After hanging up with Danny, Jamie grabbed Eddie's hand and Eddie held on tight. "Help is on the way, Eddie. Stay with me. Does anything else hurt?"

Eddie swiped the tears from her face and didn't hesitate to shake her head no. "Just my head and my arm. Are you okay?" she asked, blue eyes sweeping over his body just as he had done with her.

Jamie immediately nodded, not wanting to scare Eddie even more than she already was. "I'm fine. Now we have matching knots on the backs of our heads," Jamie said, trying to lighten the mood.

To his surprise, Eddie actually laughed. "Don't make me laugh, Reagan. It hurts," she said, chuckling as she spoke.

Soon, the light air in the room faded and sadness and confusion overwhelmed both of them once again. Jamie was still squatted down by Eddie on the floor, holding her hand, when there was a knock at the door. Jamie squeezed Eddie's hand once more before getting up and going to the door, peeking out the peephole to confirm that it was who it should be.

Within seconds, paramedics were flooding Eddie's apartment, two tending to Jamie and two tending to Eddie. As they already knew, Jamie had merely a bump (albeit a big one) on the back of his head and some scratches from the shattered glass.

He rushed over to Eddie immediately after having his cuts tended to and refusing to go to the hospital, only to learn that Eddie's news was much worse. Jamie pulled one of the paramedics tending to Eddie aside, a red-headed woman who looked like she could barely be in her twenties. "How is she? Was she shot? There was so much blood..." he said, his voice very clearly reflecting the anxiety and panic he felt.

The paramedic pressed her lips into a thin line, glanced back at Eddie and the other paramedic, and then back to Jamie. "She wasn't directly shot, no, but a bullet did graze her arm and leave a wound, and there's glass from the window in her wound. She's acting a bit out of it. Has she had any trauma recently?"

If you only knew, Jamie thought, having no clue where to even begin. "She was raped and nearly beaten to death by an ex-boyfriend a couple weeks ago. He raped her, cracked her wrist, hit her with a belt, and gave her a severe TBI, which then led to a subdural hematoma. She just got home from what feels like her millionth hospital trip. And now this." Anger seeped into Jamie's voice more and more with each word, so much so that even he could hear it.

The paramedic's eyes were wide in shock, and her mouth was gaping. Finally, she regained her composure and said, "I'm, um... I'm sorry to hear that. The police are on their way. Right now, it appears as though your girlfriend is refusing to go to the hospital, and truthfully, we can't make her go if she doesn't want to."

Irritation at the whole "your girlfriend" thing shot through Jamie briefly, and before he had a chance to correct the girl or woman or whatever she was, Eddie let out an ear-piercing scream. Jamie ran to her instinctively and pain was written all over her face. "What the hell happened?" he asked incredulously, looking from Eddie to the male paramedic and back to Eddie. The male paramedic was holding tweezers and the wound on Eddie's arm was bleeding profusely.

The male paramedic looked panicked, and Jamie felt sorry for him. "I had to get the glass fragments out of her wound before I can bandage it. It's not deep enough to stitch." The man gave Jamie an apologetic look, and Jamie shot Eddie a scolding one. Eddie rolled her eyes and diverted them towards the window, probably trying not to focus on the fact that glass was being pulled out of her arm with giant tweezers.

A little over five minutes later, after wrapping Eddie's arm, the paramedics were packing their things, and giving Jamie and Eddie both instructions on how to spot a potential concussion, which made them both want to scream considering how much they had dealt with head injuries the last couple weeks. After Jamie and Eddie both signed a form saying they were refusing to go to the hospital, the paramedics were gone. Jamie and Eddie were alone all of five minutes before two cops from another precinct came in, a man and a woman Jamie didn't recognize. Danny and Baez were hot on their heels.

"Took you long enough," Jamie said to Danny, not bothering with a greeting. He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder at the cops who were pulling Eddie aside. "What are they doing here? This is your case."

"The window alarm," Danny explained, pointing at the window sensor that had somehow been shut off. Maybe TARU had disarmed it remotely; he was sure they had that capability, because really, what couldn't they do? "The alarm immediately calls for police when it's triggered. So, tell us what happened."

Jamie ran his hands through his hair, his head spinning. "Honestly, all I remember is that I was about to get Eddie her medicine, and then there was a knock at the door. I looked out into the hallway, and there was nobody there, so I went ahead and opened it. There was an envelope, and I let Eddie open it. The next thing I know, she's yelling at me to get down. Then, this." He gestured towards the shattered window. "It's obvious somebody shot through the window, and it's also obvious that it was intended to take _me_ out, not Eddie."

Danny nodded, his expression grim. Both Danny and Baez were taking notes on their notepads. "Okay, you got two options," Danny began, looking at Jamie seriously. "The first is that you and Eddie stay with Dad, or Linda and me. The second is that we put you and Eddie in a safe house. If you choose option two, we can put you together in one safe house or in separate ones. Either option, you'll have police protection." Danny turned to Baez. "Baez, can you go give Eddie her options, too, and get her take on everything? We need to get them out of here and get this shit show on the road."

Jamie ran his hands through his hair again, releasing a shaky breath that he felt like he had been holding since that night he'd found Eddie nearly dead on her couch. "Has Dal given you anything else?" he asked his brother, scrubbing a hand down over his face.

Danny pressed his lips into a grim line. Jamie braced himself. _This isn't good_. "That's another thing I was going to talk to you about. Jamie, Dal hasn't given up Brian's location. He claims he doesn't know it… But we _did_ find something else out. Not from Dal, but from a woman named Cara Thomas. She claims she's being stalked by Brian, too. She saw Brian's picture on the news, and came into the police station to report that he's the one who's been stalking her for weeks now."

Jamie's head was spinning again. He felt sick. The thought of Brian doing to somebody else what he's done to Eddie made him physically ill. He had a shit ton of questions bouncing around in his brain. "On the news? He was on the _news_? When? And where is Cara right now?"

The questions came spilling out of Jamie's mouth before he could stop them, but Danny was unfazed, as usual. "His picture was on the news last night, and Cara came in early this morning. She positively identified Brian from the picture we aired on the news. I waited to tell you until she was _positive_ it was him. And as for your other question, she refused a safe house, but there's an armed policeman outside her door until she can get the hell out of there."

"Well, obviously, the whole armed policeman thing didn't work too well in Eddie's case. Her window's been shot through," Jamie said cynically and immediately kicked himself, knowing Danny didn't deserve the brunt of his anger at Brian. "I just hope that putting his picture on the news didn't put an even bigger target on Eddie's back. He'll know it's her that's causing him to be identified and blasted all over the news. What if…" He trailed off, shivering. He didn't need to finish the sentence. They both knew what Jamie was implying.

Before Danny could say anything else, Baez returned to Jamie and Danny, leaving Eddie sitting on her sofa, holding her arm close to her. Baez's face was taut with an emotion Jamie couldn't quite identify, but somehow, Jamie knew what she was going to say before she said it. "Eddie is refusing to leave." _There it is._ "She said she refused to let him force her out of her home again, and technically, _we_ can't force her either."

Jamie couldn't decide whether to be irritated or amused. Refusing to leave even though one side of the window had been shot out was _so_ Eddie. It made him a little bit too happy that the Eddie he knew and, admittedly, loved was still in there, as fiery and fierce as ever. "If she's staying, I'm staying, too. I'm not leaving her here," Jamie said stubbornly, crossing his arms and looking over his shoulder at Eddie. The other cops were wandering around the apartment, looking for God-knows-what, and Eddie was eyeing them suspiciously. She wanted them gone, and frankly, so did Jamie.

"Look, Jamie…" Danny began, his tone cautious, "I know you want to keep Eddie safe, but you know you don't have to take care of her. She's a big girl and she can take care of herself. But I know I can't make you do anything you don't want to do, and if you want to stay here, I know there's not much I can say to change your mind."

Jamie felt irritation shoot through him, and he fought the urge to yell. "No, Danny, she really _can't_ take care of herself. She has a cracked wrist, a bullet graze on her arm, slashes all over her back, a TBI, and a hematoma that may or may not go away on its own. And besides, I want to be here, at least until I go back to work in a few days." Frankly, the thought of going back to work and leaving Eddie here—armed policeman outside or not—made Jamie sick. But he knew it was what he had to do.

Danny nodded, although it was obvious that he wasn't happy. Jamie didn't care. Eddie was what mattered now, and Danny would have to live with it. "We'll double up on the security outside her apartment building, then. Make sure you board that window up until somebody can get it fixed. And we'll be investigating where the hell he took that shot from. Hell of a shot."

Jamie nodded, turning to look towards the window. Only one pane was shot out, the one Jamie had been standing right in front of. The other pane was perfectly in place. _One hell of a shot indeed_ , Jamie thought, shaking his head. "Keep me updated, okay?" Jamie asked Danny and Baez, his voice pleading.

"You know we will," Baez said, reaching up to give Jamie a pat on the shoulder. "Everything will be okay."

As Danny, Baez, and the two police offers left, Jamie wasn't so sure everything _would_ be okay.

* * *

 **Eddie**

Hours later, the window was boarded up, haphazardly because neither Eddie nor Jamie could manage anything else right now. Eddie's pain pills—the ones she'd been about to take when the letter arrived—were now finally in her system, and with the horrible pain in her arm, she needed them more than ever.

As she and Jamie sat on the sofa, eating their dinner, Eddie couldn't stop thinking about Cara Thomas. She wondered what she looked like, if they looked anything alike. She knew stalkers often had a type. But now her and Cara both knew that Brian was much, much more than a stalker.

After they were finished with their dinner, Eddie started to doze off. It was only 7:30pm when she fell asleep, but she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer.

When she awoke to a loud thump, Jamie, who had been sitting beside her when she'd fallen asleep, was gone. The clock on the cable box said it was 8:15, meaning she hadn't even been asleep an hour. She listened closely and heard water running. Jamie was taking a shower, apparently, and Eddie realized that she immediately felt insecure without him there. He had become her safety blanket these last few weeks, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that.

Getting to her feet a bit unsteadily, Eddie walked to her bedroom window and stared out into the night. A lot of snow had fallen and still was falling, blanketing the sidewalk and the cars parked on the street. For once, Eddie was glad to be stuck inside, but she knew that she and Jamie would have to go out for food soon; they couldn't order in forever, no matter what the weather was like. And as much as the thought terrified her, Jamie would have to go back to work soon and Eddie would be alone. Alone with her thoughts. Alone with her fears. Alone with thoughts of Brian, coming in and killing her like he'd wanted to do weeks ago. It chilled her to the bone.

Before Eddie could get too deep into her thoughts, Jamie emerged, sneaking up on her and scaring her half to death. She jumped a mile, whirling around to see Jamie standing behind her, freshly dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt, his hair still a little wet. "Jesus Christ, Jamie," Eddie said, her hand to her chest, heart thrumming wildly.

Jamie put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. You okay? I thought you were asleep."

Eddie nodded, trying to calm her racing heart. She didn't realize quite how jumpy she'd become, and it angered her. "I was… A thump woke me up. It was probably just the people next door. And I think somebody is moving in down the hall." Eddie shivered, feeling the cold emanating from the bedroom window. The apartment was freezing.

"That's probably what it was," Jamie said, even though he sounded doubtful. Eddie was doubtful, too. Brian was everywhere, it seemed like; in every corner of her mind. Every sound, every shadow, every movement out of the corner of her eye was him, and she was sure Jamie felt the same way.

To her surprise, Jamie grabbed the throw blanket off Eddie's bed and put it around Eddie's shoulders. It wasn't until then that she realized she was _still_ shivering. Whether it was from the cold or from the fear, she wasn't quite sure. "Thanks," Eddie said, managing a tiny smile. She was so tired she felt like she could drop. Her arm was sore, and she had to fight the urge to rub it so she wouldn't get Jamie worried. "I think I want to go back to sleep."

Jamie nodded, smiling just a little. But he looked tired, too, and the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "I say we both go get some sleep. I'll take the couch."

Frankly, Eddie was too tired to argue. Her medication was still in full effect, and she was starting to feel lightheaded. Considering she was standing right beside her bed, she slipped right under the duvet. Jamie tucked the covers around her in a way she found incredibly cute and said, "I'll wake you up in two hours to make sure you don't have a concussion and give you your medicine."

All Eddie could do was nod. Within seconds, she was out cold. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

 **Jamie**

Jamie fell asleep on the couch minutes after Eddie did after making sure that the door and windows were all secure and the new security system was armed.

Before Jamie even had a chance to wake Eddie up and give her her medicine, he was yanked out of a deep sleep by his cell phone ringing. The cable box clock said it was 9:58pm, meaning he had barely been asleep an hour. Irritated, he retrieved his cell phone from the coffee table, his heart dropping when he saw that it was Danny. He could feel it in his stomach that something was wrong. _Very, very wrong._

"Danny, what's up?" Jamie answered, sitting up onto his elbows.

"Jamie, I need you to listen closely," Danny said, his voice tense and worry-filled.

Jamie's heart immediately began to pound. _What the hell is happening?_ "Danny, what? What's going on?"

Danny let out a shaky breath. He sounded as terrified as Jamie felt. "Cara Thomas is dead. She's been murdered. And Brian left a message that gives us reason to believe Eddie is next."

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I'm SO sorry this has taken so long. I've had some things going on lately, but I promise to be updating more regularly. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! E-mail me at katybakerwrites .


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's note: Holy spitballs, this was a long one! So sorry it took so long to update. I've been working on this chapter for a while, trying to make it perfect. I hope you guys enjoy, and make sure to review! Send me a PM if you have any questions.**

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen**

 **Jamie**

Jamie and Danny's phone call lasted twenty minutes, and by the time it was finished, there was certainly no doubt in Jamie's mind that Brian was responsible for Cara Thomas's death. Jamie felt nauseous as Danny described the crime scene. When the phone call ended, he ran to the trash can in Eddie's kitchen and emptied the contents of his stomach until there was nothing left.

It took Jamie a good fifteen extra minutes to get up the courage to wake Eddie, who was sleeping soundly and completely oblivious to the carnage Brian had caused. Finally, before he could talk himself out of it, Jamie tip-toed to Eddie's bedroom and watched her for a few minutes in the dark before shaking her awake gently. Eddie sat bolt upright, eyes wide and confused.

"It's okay," Jamie said, putting a hand on Eddie's face briefly before pulling it away. _But it's not okay_ , Jamie thought to himself. _Nothing is okay_. "Danny just called. I have some news."

Eddie scrubbed a hand over her face, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Is it Brian? Did they find him?"

Jamie shook his head, wishing he could tell her that yes, they _had_ found Brian and everything really would be okay. "Eddie, I need you to listen closely. Cara Thomas is dead. She's been murdered."

Now it was Eddie's turn to vomit. She threw the covers off and bolted into the bathroom, vomiting until there was nothing left to do but dry-heave; Jamie was hot on her heels, holding her hair back as she kneeled in front of the toilet, arms wrapped around it, everything on her insides coming out. When she was done, she slumped against the cold bathtub behind her and closed her eyes. Jamie was sure Eddie, too, was thinking about how easily it could have been her.

And she didn't even know the half of it yet, didn't even know how horribly Cara had been stabbed. The details that Danny told him were horrifying, and Jamie hated that Eddie would have to hear them sooner or later.

"How did she die?" Eddie said after a few minutes. "Wait. I don't want to know." To Jamie's horror, Eddie bent her head and started to cry, shaking her head profusely like she was having a difficult time trying to wrap her brain around all of it. Jamie knew the feeling; he was, too, and he couldn't imagine what it would be like to be Eddie in this situation, having dated Brian for a time and having been brutalized and nearly murdered, too.

"Danny is coming in the morning, after we're rested," Jamie informed her, studying Eddie's face. "There was a message at the crime scene. It was threatening, and it mentioned you. Eddie, I think we need to take the safe house we're being offered…"

Before Jamie was even finished talking, Eddie was shaking her head. "No. No, I'm not leaving here. I'm _not_ going to be forced out of my own home because of him. I'm not doing it," she declared stubbornly.

Eddie's tone suggested she wasn't to be argued with right now, so for once, Jamie didn't argue. He just sat down across from her on the cold bathroom tile and put his hands on her knees, which she'd pulled up to her chest. When he looked into his partner's eyes, they were wide and haunted, filled with fear. Her usually-tough demeanor had crumbled over the last few weeks since she was nearly killed, and now there was hardly anything left of it.

"Eddie, you're exhausted. How about you try to sleep again? Just try, even if it's just for an hour or two," Jamie proposed, massaging Eddie's right knee subconsciously. "And if you can't sleep, we'll stay up and watch TV or something. Danny and Baez will be here at ten o'clock tomorrow morning."

To Jamie's surprise, Eddie nodded in agreement and unsteadily got to her feet. Jamie stood, too, flushed Eddie's vomit down the toilet, and led her back to the bedroom where she immediately crawled underneath the covers. "I think I want to see that psychiatrist or psychologist or whatever she is, Dr. Ackerman or whoever. I want to re-schedule my appointment. I need to talk about everything to an un-biased third party."

Jamie nodded, relieved. "I think that's a good idea," he assured her as she tucked the covers around herself. Her eyes were starting to close, the deep circles under them taking on a bruise-like tone. "Try to sleep. I'll wake you in a couple hours to change the dressings on your back and arm and give you your medication."

Once again, Eddie was asleep almost as soon as her eyes closed. Jamie breathed a sigh of relief.

* * *

Jamie himself fell asleep about an hour after Eddie did, with his alarm set for every three hours because they both needed that extra hour, and it had become fairly obvious that Eddie didn't have a concussion.

Finally, when Jamie's alarm went off at 9:30 the next morning, to his shock, Eddie was already awake and in the kitchen, having a bowl of cereal at the table with her medication bottles beside her with a glass of orange juice. The minute Jamie stood from the couch, Eddie smiled a little. "Good morning," she said, shoveling cereal into her mouth and wiping her chin with a napkin. "We need to go get groceries. There's only enough milk and cereal left for one more bowl, and we have _nothing_ for lunch."

Jamie nodded, stretching. "Okay. We could go later today if you want. How long have you been awake?"

Eddie shrugged, looking down at her cereal and swirling her spoon in it distractedly. "An hour probably. Maybe more," she said, her voice sounding a bit far off. Maybe it was her medicine, but her voice sounded strange. "I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Ackerman for this afternoon at four. Is that okay?"

Jamie was taken aback but happy, happy that Eddie would be getting her thoughts and feelings out to somebody who had no insight or opinion on the subject. At first, Jamie had wondered why Eddie hadn't gone to the department-recommended therapist, but now he understood. "That's fine. We can go to the store after that."

Cracking his neck, Jamie walked over to the window, the only side that wasn't boarded up. It was snowing just a tad, but the sun was shining and the snow on the cars was starting to melt. Maybe it would be fine to take Eddie out in it. After pulling out his phone, he saw that it was twenty-nine degrees and cringed. But they had to do what they had to do, and he knew Eddie wouldn't be okay with being stuck in the apartment for the next few days.

Putting his phone back in his sweatpants pocket, Jamie wandered into the kitchen and made himself a bowl of cereal with the last of the cereal and milk, grabbed a glass of orange juice and sat down at the table next to Eddie. They ate in silence.

When Eddie finished her breakfast, she downed her medication with the last of her orange juice and put her cup and bowl in the sink before neatly tucking her medicine bottles away in a random cabinet in the kitchen. When her back was turned, Jamie's eyes landed on the space between her shoulder blades and the area right above her hips, and that's when he saw that she had bled through her bandages and, subsequently, her t-shirt as well.

"Eddie, I need to change your dressings. You're bleeding," he said, abandoning the little bit of cereal he had left and grabbing the bandage bag. "I'll change your bandages before Danny and Baez get here. Your arm dressing could use a change, too."

Eddie nodded and silently walked to the bathroom where she hoisted herself up onto the countertop. Jamie followed closely behind her with the bag. He peeled the bandage on her arm off first, noting that the skin around the bullet graze looked a tiny bit red and inflamed. He slathered it in triple antibiotic ointment for good measure before wrapping it as loosely as he could, and Eddie didn't flinch.

The ones on her back were another matter. The lashes had become a bright, angry red color and were still bleeding profusely. There were probably eight of them in total, and Eddie cried out the minute he touched them. "I'm sorry, Eddie," he said, and he meant it. Her face was pinched tight in pain and she was biting her lip to keep from crying out. He covered them all in ointment as quickly as he could and bandaged them. Eddie's lip was bleeding from her teeth clamping down on it by the time he was done.

When he was finished and Eddie's nauseating pain had passed, Eddie changed her bloody t-shirt while Jamie packed the bandage bag back up, zipping it and tucking it away. After clearing his breakfast things from the table, he plopped down on the couch, running his hands through his hair. Just as he was about to flip the TV on, there was a knock at the door.

 _Here we go,_ Jamie thought, knowing full well that Danny and Baez were about to tell Eddie details that about Cara's death that would haunt her forever, because they sure as hell haunted Jamie.

Eddie came bolting out of her bedroom, where she'd changed into a baby blue t-shirt that brought out her eyes, just as Jamie was looking out the peephole and into the hallway. After confirming that it _was_ Danny and Baez, Jamie opened the door and ushered them inside, with Eddie hot on his heels. She had no idea what was coming, that's for sure.

Danny was holding a manila folder, and both Danny and his partner had looks of pure horror on their faces, probably from the crime scene they had been working all night. "Look, guys," Danny started, looking from Jamie to Eddie and back to Jamie, "I'm sorry that you have to start your day out this way, but it couldn't wait. We're dealing with a savagery we haven't seen in our careers." Baez nodded in agreement, looking down at the floor.

At Danny's words, Jamie looked at Eddie, who looked as terrified as Jamie felt, probably more so. "Have a seat," Eddie said weakly, gesturing towards the living room, where Danny and Baez took a seat on the sofa, Jamie and Eddie remaining on their feet. "So what happened?"

Danny cleared his throat and rubbed his face with a shaky hand. By the look on Eddie's face, she knew it was going to be bad, but Jamie knew good and well that nothing could prepare her for what she was about to hear. Absolutely _nothing_. "Last night, just before nine o'clock, a 911 call was made by a resident who heard screaming from the apartment next door. He said, and I quote, that it 'was _literally_ like somebody was screaming bloody murder.' Police arrived, knocked on the door and called out but got no answer, so they forced the door. Inside they found Cara Thomas, very obviously deceased. It was… horrific, to say the very least."

"How did she die? I want to know," Eddie demanded, one hand on her hip, the other at her mouth as she was chewing at her nails.

Danny sighed deeply. Eddie and Jamie both braced themselves as best they could. "There's still a pending autopsy, but it goes without saying that she lost a _lot_ of blood. She was very viciously stabbed." Danny shook his head as if he was trying to shake the image from his mind. Jamie couldn't blame him. "There also is horrible trauma to her neck… so we aren't totally sure what killed her yet."

Jamie looked at Eddie. Tears were streaming down her face, and she, too, was shaking her head. Without hesitation, Jamie walked over to his partner and pulled her into his side, not giving a damn what Danny and Baez were thinking. Eddie cried into his shoulder for a good five minutes as Danny and Baez exchanged a look, but said nothing. Jamie saw no judgment in their expressions, only sadness and concern. The horror they had seen was written all over their faces, and Jamie figured that his and Eddie's consoling each other was the least of their worries.

When Eddie had finally collected herself, she pulled herself away from Jamie and swiped her hands across her face, wiping the tears away. Her eyes were filled with terror and confusion and sadness, and Jamie found himself wanting to find a way to make it better once again. "How the hell is Brian managing to evade authorities like this?" Eddie asked, her voice shaky with anger. "They sure as hell better but his picture on the news tonight. Somebody had to have seen something. Somebody knows where the hell he is."

Danny and Baez both nodded understandingly. "We're trying, Eddie," Baez said, giving Eddie a sympathetic smile. "We're going to catch him. He's smart as hell, but nobody does everything perfectly. He's going to screw up, and we're going to be there when he does." Danny nodded in agreement, saying nothing.

Baez's tone suggested she believed what she was saying 100%, and that gave both Jamie and Eddie a tad bit of hope, because it _was_ true that nobody could do everything perfectly. Even as beat cops, Jamie and Eddie both knew that.

"I just hope he doesn't kill anybody else before he _does_ screw up," Eddie said, staring off into the distance. Her face was tight, as if she was trying not to cry again. "If he can do that to somebody he supposedly doesn't know, what would he do to me?"

Jamie put his arm around his partner again and gave her shoulders a squeeze. She was crying once again, but only a tear here and there. Her veneer had cracked, but it was still there. "We're not going to have to find out, because he's not going to get to you again," Danny said gently, giving her a tiny smile meant to reassure. Eddie merely nodded and looked down at her feet.

"So what's next?" Eddie asked after a while, looking back and forth between Danny and Baez, still blinking back tears. Jamie let go of her but stood close, also watching his brother and Baez.

Danny sighed again, his head down now. "Well, right now we're waiting for word from the ME, but I think we know who did this. We've still got people combing through Cara's apartment. She told us she had all sorts of proof of Brian stalking her, but before she could give it to us… Well, obviously, she never got a chance."

Eddie nodded, her expression solemn. "Yeah, well, let's just hope he didn't have one of his minions come and steal any proof _she_ had," Eddie said, her tone slightly bitter. "I feel like this is all my fault. If he hadn't become obsessed with me, he wouldn't have latched onto Cara, I'm sure. When he couldn't take _me_ out, he wanted to take Cara out to prove a point. Technically, I'm behind all of this." Eddie was shaking her head now, her eyes cast down.

This time, it was Baez who spoke. "Eddie, this is _not_ your fault. You didn't ask for any of this," she told Eddie gently. " _Nobody_ asks for this. You don't deserve it and neither did Cara, so please don't blame yourself. Only Brian and the people he's manipulated are to blame."

Eddie was crying, again, but it appeared to be almost a cry of relief. To everybody's surprise, Baez stood up from the couch and hugged Eddie. Eddie seemed to be more comforted by her than anybody else, and Jamie knew that having another woman to comfort her could make a world of difference to Eddie.

Eddie thanked Baez when she pulled away and swiped the tears from her cheeks again, giving Baez an "I'm okay" smile. To Jamie's relief, she actually _looked_ okay, as if the hug from Maria had completely changed everything. She even gave Jamie a little smile, too.

But Eddie's relief was short-lived. Danny finally had to address the elephant in the room, the one that had been in front of Jamie since their phone call. "About the message at the crime scene…" Danny pulled his cell phone out and stood from the sofa just as Baez had. He walked over to Jamie and Eddie, scrolling through his phone as he did so. He looked like he was going to be sick. Jamie braced himself and wished he'd seen the image himself so he knew what to expect, so he could warn Eddie and prepare her as much as possible.

The picture Danny showed them was disturbing, to say the least. All the picture showed was the wall in Cara's apartment, but that was disturbing enough. In blood, probably Cara's, were the words: _This WILL be you, Eddie Janko. Let the fun begin_.

Before anybody knew what was happening, Eddie had fainted. Jamie caught her before she hit the ground.

* * *

 **Eddie**

When Eddie came to, she was only briefly disoriented. She wasn't confused and oblivious for nearly long enough. After just a few seconds of consciousness, she remembered the message at the Cara Thomas crime scene.

When she opened her eyes, Eddie immediately saw Jamie's face over hers, and then she saw Danny standing over her also, concern and terror all over their faces. She sat upright quickly, putting a hand to her head. "I passed out," she said, looking from Danny to Jamie and back again. It wasn't a question. She remembered seeing the picture of the wall in Cara's apartment. And the next thing she knew she was waking up on the floor of _her_ apartment.

Danny and Jamie nodded in unison. "You did," Jamie said, studying her face closely. "Are you okay? Does your head hurt?"

Oddly, Eddie had to think about that for a second. To her relief, her head _didn't_ hurt. "It doesn't hurt. You caught me before I fell?"

Danny and Jamie nodded in unison again. Danny gave Jamie a playful swat on the arm and said, "Fast reflexes, kid."

Jamie smiled slightly at his brother before turning his attention back to Eddie, who was now struggling to sit up. Jamie put his hands on her shoulders. "Slowly sit up. Take your time. Then Danny and I will help you stand."

Eddie did exactly as he instructed, taking her time moving from laying down to sitting completely up, one of Jamie's hands on her arm and one on her back. On the count of three, Danny and Jamie hoisted Eddie to her feet, both brothers holding onto her until they were sure she was steady. Baez watched nervously, ready to help if needed.

Jamie moved in front of Eddie and studied her face closely. Her eyes weren't glazed and she was looking him directly in the eye. "You okay?" he asked her, squeezing her unhurt shoulder gently.

Eddie nodded, even giving a small smile, probably meant to reassure him. "I do think I need to go lie down, though," she said, eyeing the sofa. "Preferably _not_ on the floor this time." Jamie, Danny, and Baez all laughed, relieved that Eddie could still make a joke, even if it was a slightly grim one.

Jamie led his partner over to the sofa that Baez had recently vacated and she immediately dropped onto it, her face a grimace of pain until she finally found a comfy position. Even laying down, she couldn't rest entirely; Jamie could see the wheels turning in her head. "So what are you going to do next with the Cara Thomas case?" she asked, her eyes on Danny and Baez.

"Well, we have to hear from the ME before we can do anything," Danny explained. "Hopefully, Cara scratched or bit him or he left something behind if there was sexual assault. We've got the DNA from your rape kit, Eddie, and now we just have to see if there's anything on Cara so we can compare them. We've got people interviewing other tenants in the apartment building Cara lived in, people digging through the Dumpsters outside... everything. We're doing everything we can."

Eddie nodded, biting her lip again, overwhelmed by all of this and having a hard time believing the nightmare that had become her life in the last few weeks. Before anybody could say anything else, Danny spoke again. "And please, _both_ of you, consider the damn safe house you're being offered. Just until we catch the son of a bitch. Now is not the time to be stubborn."

It was Baez who spoke next as she and Danny headed for Eddie's front door. "We're going to catch him. I know we will." Despite having been told this numerous times, Jamie still wasn't sure he-or Eddie-believed it.

* * *

 **Eddie**

Eddie took a long but restless nap after Danny and Baez left, and when she woke up, it was 2:30 p.m. and Jamie was sitting at the end of the couch, flipping through channels, one of his hands resting on her legs. She raised a hand to her face and rubbed her bleary eyes, blinking them a few times. _Holy shit, I'm tired_ , she thought, frowning. It seemed like she never felt rested anymore, and she felt like that would never end.

When she looked over at Jamie, he was looking at her, smiling. "How do you feel?" he asked her, something that had become routine for them in the last few weeks.

Eddie thought about it for a moment. Mentally, she felt horrible. If she was being honest, though, she felt horrible physically, too. "I feel like crap, Jamie," she said blandly, wiping the smile right off Jamie's face. She immediately felt guilty. "I'll be okay, though."

Jamie patted her leg lightly and stood swiftly from the couch, stretching gracefully. "I'll get you your medicine," he told her as he padded into the kitchen.

He returned juggling a handful of medicine bottles-her corticosteroid, anticonvulsant, hydrocodone, and something else she couldn't remember-and a glass of water. Eddie couldn't help but smile a little as Jamie pulled a pill from each bottle and pressed them into her palm. She swallowed all of them in one handful, nearly gagging at the taste of them with the bland water. "Yuck," she said, shaking her head. Jamie laughed and then she did, too.

"Do you feel well enough to go to grocery shopping before your appointment with Dr. Ackerman? The snow isn't coming down anymore and Danny said the streets are plowed well enough." Jamie shrugged, lining up the medicine bottles absentmindedly on the coffee table in front of her. "I don't know. It might do us both good to get out for a while."

Eddie nodded immediately, taking no time to mull it over. "I'm not letting Brian keep me cooped up in here. If he wants me, he's going to get me, no matter what... So I may as well get out and do what needs to be done."

Even Jamie, Mr. Practical, couldn't argue that. So while Jamie put Eddie's medications away, Eddie brushed her hair and her teeth, throwing her hair up into a ponytail, then pulled on the warmest pants she could find after seeing on her phone that it was eighteen degrees outside. She felt the slightest twinge of guilt for going against Dr. Coleman's instructions not to go out if not absolutely necessary, but in her opinion, this _was_ necessary. For her sanity, and for Jamie's.

* * *

Like an old married couple, Jamie and Eddie fought about what would be best for Eddie to go out in. He even argued at one point that she put on _two_ pairs of sweatpants, and when she told him that was goddamned ridiculous, he suggested she put on two layers on top and tie a scarf around her mouth for walking out to the car. Knowing Jamie wouldn't relent, she reluctantly agreed, mumbling under her breath as she walked back to her bedroom to pile on another t-shirt.

It was nearly 3:00 by the time they were both ready. Eddie set the alarm for the security system, locked the deadbolts, and Jamie cleared the hallway before they left, his hand on his weapon the entire time. Eddie had a scarf around her face and therefore couldn't talk, or else she would have said that he needed to calm the hell down.

The street her apartment building was on was pretty much empty, and Jamie nearly had a coronary when he realized that the sidewalk was slippery. Eddie laughed under the scarf and he shot her a look that could kill. Of course, he put both arms tightly around her and guided her across the ice, nearly slipping himself a couple times, holding onto her until they made it to his car.

Once they were safely settled inside Jamie's Mustang and the heat was cranked way up and he had asked Eddie if she was okay at least ten times (which she secretly found incredibly cute), they were off.

The roads _were_ clear, and Eddie and Jamie both let out a sigh of relief. It was then, in the warm space of Jamie's car, that Eddie reached over and put a hand on Jamie's shoulder, suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude for everything he had done for her. "Jamie, I know I've said this a time or two lately, but I can't say it enough times: thank you. I know I'm a pain in the ass and I know I don't always show that I'm grateful, but... I am."

Jamie didn't look over at her, but he did smile and take one hand off the wheel, putting it on top of Eddie's. "You really are a pain in the ass," he said with a laugh, "but I hope you know there's no place I would rather be."

To Eddie's shock, Jamie's words brought tears to her eyes. She didn't know what else to say, and she knew she didn't have to say anything else, so she didn't.

* * *

Just a month before, grocery shopping with Jamie would have felt incredibly strange to Eddie, but now, in this post-disaster part of their lives and after everything they'd been through together, it felt oddly normal. Truthfully, that scared her a little.

Eddie insisted on pushing the cart, saying, "I can still do one thing for myself, Jamie, even if it's pushing a grocery cart." She considered adding _And at least I can wipe my own ass_ , but thought better of it. She didn't need to say that part; Jamie handed the cart over with no struggle and, in fact, a bit of a smile.

Jamie strolled along quietly behind her as they wandered the aisles, putting orange juice, bread, milk, and exactly four different kinds of cereal in the cart, amongst far too much junk food and other random things. Decent music was playing on the speakers in the store, and Eddie found herself bobbing her head a little to the beat. Jamie was right when he said it would help to get out of the house, although she would never admit as much to him.

They took their time until 3:45, and after checking out-and fighting over who was going to pay-Jamie tied the scarf back around Eddie's face and they hauled everything to his car, with him carrying approximately five of the seven bags. Eddie didn't even bother arguing over that one with him.

During the drive, Jamie and Eddie agreed that he would drop her off at Dr. Ackerman's office, take the groceries back to her apartment, and then come immediately back. Eddie didn't like the idea of him going back to the apartment by himself, as silly as that was, but she knew that he would do it anyway no matter what she argued, so once again, she didn't bother.

It was almost exactly 4pm when Jamie dropped Eddie off. Dr. Ackerman's office was in a nice building, but the waiting room was painted a depressing dark blue that immediately pissed Eddie off. Or maybe that was the annoying receptionist. Either way, Eddie busied herself with filling out paperwork, and before she knew it, a tall, beautiful brunette opened one of the doors off the waiting room. "Edit?" she called, her eyes falling on Eddie, who was the only person in the waiting room.

Eddie stood and followed the doctor into the room she came out of. "I'm Dr. Iris Ackerman," she said, reaching out her hand. _What a strange name._ But then again, Dr. Ackerman probably thought Eddie's name was odd as well.

Eddie shook the doctor's outstretched hand. "I'm Edit, but everybody calls me Eddie," Eddie explained, sitting down on the comfy couch the doctor gestured to.

Dr. Ackerman took a seat across from Eddie in a rather regal-looking chair. "So, what brings you here today, Eddie?"

Eddie took a deep breath, tempted to run out of the room. _I have to do this_. "Well, I was raped and nearly beaten to death a few weeks ago by an ex-boyfriend of mine who has become obsessed with me. I'm an NYPD police officer, and he beat me so badly I can't return to work for quite some time. Brian-my ex-has been consistently stalking me for quite some time. One of the men he's consulted for help set my work partner's apartment complex on fire. He's killed three people that we know of since my attack, one being another girl he became obsessed with. You probably saw it on the news... Cara Thomas?"

Dr. Ackerman looked horrified as she nodded. "I did. So this man was your ex-boyfriend? Was he abusive while you were together?"

Eddie nodded, staring out the window. "He was. One of the men he killed was a man who used to hang around the apartment while Brian and I were together. He stabbed him and he bled to death." Eddie found tears springing to her eyes and swiped them away before they could roll down her cheeks. "I can't sleep anymore, and if I do, it's disturbed by nightmares. I'm scared of _everything_. I'm scared to be cooped up in the apartment, but I'm scared to go out. The only person I trust is my work partner, Jamie."

Dr. Ackerman and Eddie continued to talk about numerous things relating to Brian, and a little about Jamie as well. She found herself smiling a little when she spoke about Jamie, and this did not escape Dr. Ackerman's attention. Luckily, she said nothing about it, just smiled a little herself.

At the end of their one-hour appointment, Dr. Ackerman informed Eddie that she would be prescribing her something stronger for sleep, and something heavy-duty for anxiety.

After thanking the doctor and taking her prescription papers, Eddie returned to the waiting room to find Jamie out there, his legs stretched out in front of him, his hands clasped together. His eyes landed on her immediately, and he smiled. "How did it go?" he asked, standing from his chair, studying her face closely. It made her nervous.

"It was good. She put me on two new prescriptions," she informed Jamie, stuffing the scripts in her purse. Jamie just nodded, seeming relieved. Eddie walked over to the receptionist and scheduled another appointment for two weeks, took a card for an emergency crisis number to call, and she and Jamie walked out into the frigid evening.

* * *

 **Brian**

 _December 17th_

 _Nothing is working. Jamie is still there, always there, gathered around Eddie constantly. But as I said before, he can't watch her forever._

 _Even me killing Cara Thomas didn't scare Jamie or anybody else away. It felt great, though; it felt great to take all my anger at Eddie and Jamie and the police out on Cara Thomas, an innocent, an innocent that I've been watching for a while now. Just wait until the coroner's report comes back and everything else I did to Cara comes to light._

 _However, because of Cara, my picture was on the news last night. Of course, I'm a wanted man for killing Drew and Cara and for everybody I've hurt, but the police are stepping up their game._

 _I watched Eddie today. I watched her from my car-my stolen car-as she went into a psychiatrist's office. Dr. Iris Ackerman. I have decided that Dr. Ackerman and I may have to have ourselves a little chat._


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's note: Finally, some light and a little bit of normalcy for Jamie and Eddie. I've had portions of this written for weeks, but I was waiting for just the right time to post it and finish the rest, so i got started immediately after chapter 13 was posted. I had so much fun writing this. Maybe things will finally get going for our favorite couple. ;)**

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen**

 **Eddie**

When Jamie and Eddie got home from Eddie's doctor's appointment and the pharmacy, Eddie expected disaster, because that was what was always waiting for them around every corner anymore. By the way that Jamie had one hand on his gun, he expected the same. But there was nothing. The apartment was quiet and nothing was out of place; Jamie and Eddie both breathed a sigh of relief.

Eddie felt a gnawing sensation in the pit of her stomach, and she smiled a little when she realized it was nothing but hunger. She felt weak in the knees from the lack of food she'd consumed today. She'd considered asking Jamie to stop somewhere on the way back to her apartment, but considering that it had started to snow again, she thought better of it. Besides, they had bought enough food to feed the entire apartment complex.

Just as Jamie was setting the alarm system, Eddie's stomach growled so loudly that Jamie heard it and gave her a look. "You're hungry, I take it?" he asked with a sly smile, eyebrows raised.

Eddie nodded, smiling as well. "Very. Is it wrong that I just want to order in and not make anything tonight?"

Jamie laughed and shook his head. "No. It's not wrong. But I can cook us dinner. You won't have to do anything." He lifted one shoulder and shrugged as if it were no big thing, and Eddie was filled with gratitude. Just when she thought it couldn't get better, he asked, "Ravioli with marinara?"

The thought of it made Eddie's mouth water. She had been craving pasta constantly lately. In fact, that was one of the only things she felt like eating besides cereal. Everything else upset her stomach. "That sounds great. I can help you, though. I can handle making ravioli."

Jamie nodded, reluctant. "Okay. But if you get tired, tell me and I'll do the rest."

Eddie nodded in agreement, ready to get the cooking started to fill the empty pit that was her stomach. Less than five minutes later, they were both in the kitchen. Because neither of them felt like making homemade ravioli and both were famished, they agreed they would use the frozen ravioli they'd bought. While Eddie was getting that ready, Jamie made the marinara sauce. It felt so bizarrely domestic, yet so normal now, them standing side by side in Eddie's kitchen, cooking dinner. The happiness it brought Eddie scared her.

Their arms brushed together as they both stirred their individual pots, and they occasionally exchanged heated glances at the contact, followed by goofy smiles on both of their faces. For the first time in so long, Eddie felt not just "okay", but _good_. Even the fear of that being ripped out from beneath her was gone, a fear that had haunted her since that night when Jamie had found her on her couch, raped and damn near beaten to death.

"This is good," Eddie said, stirring the ravioli around absentmindedly.

Jamie looked over at her and raised his eyebrows. "The ravioli?" he asked sarcastically, even though Eddie was sure he knew damn well what she was referring to.

Eddie chuckled, shaking her head. "No, you jackass. Us. Cooking together and doing normal things. For the first time in a while, I feel okay. More than okay. I feel _good_."

Before she knew what was happening, Jamie's arm was around Eddie's shoulders and he was pulling her into his side and his lips were on her forehead and her skin was tingling. It was a delicious feeling, and she chastised herself for a moment for feeling that way, for letting the feeling of his lips on her skin go straight to her core. It wasn't like they hadn't kissed before, but this felt different; it _was_ different. They were in the privacy of her apartment, cooking dinner together, and for the first time in the past few weeks, she wasn't crying or screaming or falling on her ass in the shower and he wasn't consoling her or picking her up when she fell. For once, Brian wasn't doing something awful to them and wrecking her-and Jamie-all over again.

For once, it was just the two of them, not in the RMP and not chasing after somebody. It was just them, alone, and Eddie realized then that she had no reason to feel guilty. _He's your work partner_ , a voice deep in the back of her mind said.

And for the first time in a long, long time, she decided to ignore it.

* * *

 **Jamie**

Although it hadn't been a regular kiss, just a kiss on the forehead as they'd made dinner, Jamie found himself absurdly happy, and Eddie looked as though she felt the same way. He knew he should feel guilty. He knew he shouldn't have done it, shouldn't have had his lips on her skin-or anywhere, for that matter. But he found himself ignoring those thoughts, and when Eddie didn't push him away as his lips were on her forehead, he figured she must be ignoring those thoughts, too.

As they sat down on the sofa to eat dinner, Eddie flipped on the TV and tucked her feet under her. She had started eating before he'd even sat down, stuffing ravioli into her mouth like it was going out of style. "Good, huh?" he asked her, looking at her face. Her mouth was covered in marinara sauce, and in true Eddie Janko fashion, she didn't wipe it off until she caught him staring at her.

"It's amazing," she said, staring into her bowl that was now almost empty. "I want more but I think I'll take my medicine first and wait until later. Just to make sure stuffing my face hasn't upset my stomach."

"Sounds good to me," Jamie said, smiling and reaching out to take her bowl. "I'll get you your medicine." Jamie rested a hand on Eddie's leg briefly and stood from the sofa, padding into the kitchen with both of their bowls. After washing them out and putting them in the sink, Jamie rifled through the cabinet for Eddie's medication.

Jamie knew her medication routine by heart now. He pulled out her anti-convulsant, corticosteroid, and pain medicines and dumped them into his hand, putting them back into the cabinet. The cabinet door closed with a loud bang, and Jamie's eyes immediately went to Eddie, who hadn't flinched and was intently staring at the TV. _She really is feeling better,_ he thought. She had been glowing all night, as though something had shifted in her head, and Jamie thought she'd never looked more beautiful. After the Cara Thomas news, he was sure Eddie would go into a full-blown downward spiral, but she had taken it like a champ. _She always did_.

Dr. Ackerman had put Eddie on Ambien and Xanax as needed for sleep and anxiety, so Jmaie put those in a pill capsule for her to take later when she needed them. He brought Eddie her medication and she took it with a chug of sweet tea, and they settled on the couch to watch TV-or at least try-and talk. "What did Dr. Ackerman say today?" Jamie asked his partner casually, evaluating her face, trying to decide if he was crossing a line.

Eddie shrugged, picking at her what was left of her thumbnail. "She's evaluating me for PTSD, which I _know_ I have. But it will prevent me from going back to work for even longer, so I kind of hope she comes up with nothing. She also asked me if I had suffered from depression in the past, and if Brian abused me in the past. I answered no to the depression question and, obviously, yes to the Brian question." Eddie said Brian's name with such utter hatred that she nearly spat it out. "I told her about him putting me in the hospital while we were dating and, of course, the rape. She offered to put me on something for depression. I turned her down on that and said that all I needed was to sleep and to feel less scared." Eddie shrugged again but was meeting Jamie's eyes now.

"Eddie, I can stay off of work longer if you need me to. If you'll be too scared by yourself. I've had vacation time donated to me; the department understands." Jamie said, and he meant it with every fiber of his being.

However, Eddie was shaking her head before Jamie had even finished his sentence. "I appreciate that, Jamie, but you can't do that. You have to regain _some_ sense of normalcy. I've disrupted your life enough already. Besides, I can take the anxiety pills when I need to, and I won't hesitate to call you or somebody else if I need help. I'll be fine." The smile on Eddie's face told Jamie she meant it. But the thought of her being in her apartment, alone, scared him to death, and once again, he realized the depth of his feelings for her.

"Eddie, I really hope you know that you haven't disrupted my life in any sense of the word," Jamie told her, putting his hand on her knee once again. "You've made my life better in so many ways. And I'm not here just because I feel the need to protect you and want to keep you safe. I want to just be around you. I can tell you now that when I go back to my apartment, whenever that is, nothing will be the same." He felt like he was rambling, but he knew he had to get it out before the words got caught in his throat again and he lost his courage.

Eddie looked like she might cry, and Jamie squeezed her knee. Then she said something that changed everything. "Maybe I don't want you to go back to your apartment." She said it so quietly that he could barely hear her, but the words were there, hanging between them, and for the first time in a while, Jamie very seriously considered kissing her. But she was still vulnerable, and he knew she wasn't quite ready for that yet, so he didn't. That would have to wait a while longer.

Instead, he said, "Then I won't." And that was that.

* * *

 **Eddie**

After Eddie said those words, the words about her not wanting Jamie to go back to his apartment, nothing was the same. Something shifted, but for once, it was in a good way. Then, when Jamie said he wouldn't go back to his apartment, she felt the most intense surge of relief she'd ever felt. She didn't need to explain that it wasn't because she needed him to protect her, to keep her from being hurt or killed by Brian; she could tell by the look in his eyes that he knew that. He knew that she didn't want him to go back to his apartment because she wanted him _there_ , with her, for no other reason than that she wanted him. He had known it all along, and she knew he wanted her, too, in every sense of the word.

Eddie couldn't bring herself to think of the repercussions of their actions as far as their jobs went. They had dealt with so many consequences of her awful relationship with Brian in the last few weeks that she refused to let anything else stop them. After she'd said those words, Jamie had looked right at her lips, and she assumed he wasn't thinking about repercussions much, either. Truthfully, she'd wanted to kiss him as much as it seemed like he wanted to kiss her. But somehow, Eddie felt like it should wait, at least until she was a little less fragile, although she knew good and well that Jamie would never hurt her if-or when-they pursued a relationship, therefore her fragility really made no difference.

After having dinner and watching TV for a while, Eddie started to feel a bit tired, but seeing as it was only 8:30 p.m., she didn't want to go to sleep yet, knowing she would wake up in a cold sweat at two or three a.m. and be unable to go back to sleep. Besides, she finally felt good again (because of Jamie), and she wasn't ready to go to sleep, wasn't ready for it to be over. So she made a suggestion, out of the blue. "Wanna play a game?"

Jamie looked at her a bit strangely, and then a smile crossed his face. He looked pleasantly taken aback. "Uh... What kind of game? I didn't take you for the game type."

Without a word, Eddie stood from the couch and opened a cabinet under the TV. In there were all the games her and friends had played over the years, even some from when she was a teenager. She even had Cards Against Humanity in there, which she'd bought for herself and never played. Her cracked wrist ached as she stood, carrying the bin of games back to Jamie, where she took a seat on the floor next to his legs. Jamie looked into the bin in wonderment, obviously shocked. "I guess you could say I'm a game person," she said, shooting him a sly look over her shoulder.

Before Eddie knew it, Jamie was down on the floor with her, legs crossed and grinning from ear to ear. "What are we going to play? Are you tired?"

Eddie shook her head, rifling through the games, even though she really _was_ tired. She just wasn't ready for the happiest night she'd had in a long time to end. "We've got Boggle, Skip-Bo, Scrabble, Uno, Cards Against Humanity... pretty much everything you can think of. You pick."

Jamie scratched the side of his head, staring into the bin and their hands touched as he rifled through the games himself. "How about... Boggle?" he said, and Eddie thought he seemed nervous. She was nervous, too, and she couldn't pinpoint exactly why.

"I definitely think we can handle that," Eddie said, taking the box out of the bin and situating herself around the coffee table, setting out the container of letters, the timer, and the instructions.

As it turned out, Jamie had never played Boggle, so the first hour of the game was a trial round. Eddie won and Jamie took it like a champ, laughing when she reached one hundred points and giving her a double-handed high five, which hurt her wrist a little but she laughed anyway. She hadn't felt so carefree in a long time, since long, long before Brian nearly killed her, and she never wanted it to end.

The next round, Jamie dominated Eddie, and she didn't mind at all. They had playful fights over whether or not certain "words" they wrote down were actually words. They drank sweet tea and ate more pasta as they played. Five rounds, three hours, and a lot of laughing later, they were exhausted, happy, and giddy. They were beaming at each other. Eddie realized then that she wasn't scared for her life, and Brian hadn't been occupying much space in her brain all night. She had avoided watching the news when she'd turned the TV on, and she knew that had to have made a difference, because Cara Thomas's face would have been staring back at her, not to mention Brian's.

Mainly, however, the difference was Jamie and being with him, carefree and bonding over something besides running after a perp or, lately, running for their lives.

Eddie boxed Boggle up and stashed it back in its place in the bin, which she shoved back under the TV, and returned to the couch where Jamie had already taken his seat, watching her carefully. Suddenly, she felt something trickling down her arm, and before she could even look to see what it was, Jamie had launched off the couch and was holding her arm in his hands. "Your bullet graze is bleeding," he said, stroking her arm. "Let's go change all your dressings before you go to bed."

Eddie nodded in agreement, grateful for Jamie and for painkillers also. Jamie led her to the bathroom, grabbing the bandage bag along the way. As though this was routine now-it was-Eddie jumped up onto the counter and Jamie quickly went about applying triple antibiotic ointment on and wrapping her bullet graze tightly, only after wiping the blood off with peroxide on a gauze pad. It stung, all of it, and Eddie hissed in pain.

The lashes on her back didn't hurt at all anymore, but she still asked Jamie how they looked even as she tried to turn around to see her back, to no avail. "They look great. They're scabbing over. Do they itch?"

Eddie nodded. "That's a good sign, I guess," she said, knowing that itching meant they were healing. _At least one part of me is healing_ , she thought.

After Jamie was done, he packed up the bandage bag, and Eddie watched him intently. Once again, she wanted to kiss him, but she refused to do it in the bathroom when she was wearing a bloody t-shirt and was exhausted beyond belief. She was apparently looking at him so strangely that he asked if she was okay. She assured him she was fine, and he gave an amused smile before stashing the bandage bag behind the bathroom door.

After Jamie left the bathroom, Eddie brushed her teeth, used the toilet, and washed her face. She also changed into a clean t-shirt Jamie had brought in, one she'd had for years that now hung loose on her, and then brushed her hair out gently, careful of the healing cuts on her scalp.

Suddenly, Eddie was hit with the most intense feeling of exhaustion she'd ever felt, and she told Jamie, wherever he was, that she was going to bed. However, when she went into her bedroom, he was already in there, lamp turned on and covers pulled back for her. "Do you need your Ambien?" Jamie asked, already holding the bottle in his hand.

Eddie thought about it for a moment. She felt exhausted, but even exhausted her sleep was still disturbed. So she nodded, and Jamie handed her a pill with a glass of ice cold water. She swallowed it down and immediately crawled into bed, reveling in the safe feeling of her bed and of Jamie standing beside her. She realized then that the day had been as close to perfect as it could be after what Brian had done. Nothing awful had happened, and her and Jamie had had an incredibly normal night, a _happy_ night that she never thought she would have again.

"I'm going to sleep in the chair over here," Jamie informed her, jabbing his thumb in the direction of the armchair in the corner of Eddie's bedroom.

Before Eddie knew what she was saying, the words came tumbling out: "You don't want to...?" She gestured over to the other side of the bed and knew she didn't need to finish the sentence.

Jamie smiled at her and, to her surprise, leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Soon. For now, let's take it slow." And with that, he flipped off the light, covering in darkness.

Before Jamie could walk over to the chair, Eddie grabbed his wrist. "Will you... Will you sit with me until I fall asleep?"

Jamie didn't answer and instead just went around the bed, sitting down and turning towards Eddie. Slowly, he put a hand on her arm in a way that felt different than every other time, but he couldn't put his finger on why. "I'll be right here."

Eddie felt a tingle go through her. She nodded and smiled, briefly covering his hand with hers before turning on her side to face him. She felt safe that way, secure somehow in that she could see him and he could see her. She wanted to stay in that bubble forever. "Good night, Jamie," she mumbled, so low it was nearly a whisper.

Jamie heard her, and even in the darkness, she knew he did, because he said, "Good night, Eddie."

It was the last thing she heard before she fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

* * *

 **Jamie**

When Jamie awoke at a little after six the next morning, Sunday, something felt different before he even opened his eyes. When he finally did open them, he realized what it was. He was in Eddie's bed, and she was still sound asleep beside him.

It all came back to him in a rush. He remembered staying up even after Eddie had fallen asleep, and then getting tired around 1 a.m. Figuring it wouldn't hurt anything, he had laid down, not under the covers but still next to Eddie, and obviously, he had fallen asleep and not woken up. He couldn't even deny the good feeling he had when he realized where he was once the momentary confusion had passed.

Eddie looked peaceful, and Jamie realized she hadn't woken up, screaming in terror or pain, all night. He tried his hardest not to disturb her as he sat up in the bed, but she was a light sleeper even on Ambien, and her eyes slowly opened. "Jamie?" she croaked, smiling at him.

"Yeah, it's me. You okay?" he asked her as if it were reflex. And really, it _was_ , even when they were on the job. Suddenly, he remembered the day that Eddie had been kidnapped and taken to that garage, when he had found her in that creep's car with duct tape all over her body. He shivered at the thought of everything that had happened to her recently and grounded himself by looking over at her, warm and very much alive and staring at him with a light in her eyes that had been missing those last few weeks.

Eddie nodded, rubbing a hand over her face. "I'm fine. Did you sleep here?" she said, gesturing to the bed. "I hope you don't think it was inappropriate that I asked you to stay in here last night. I just wanted to be around you still, even when I was going to sleep. I can't explain it."

Jamie smiled softly and instinctively reached out to stroke a finger along Eddie's cheek. "You don't need to explain it, Eddie. You know I've had feelings for you for a while... I don't think I need to explain, either."

Maybe he was imagining things, but Jamie could have sworn that Eddie, his chill, don't-mess-with-me partner, was blushing. She gave a soft laugh and beamed at him, and he beamed right back at her. "We're taking things slow, right?" Eddie asked, sitting up in the bed right alongside Jamie. "Because I want to ease into this. And we have to figure out what we're going to tell the bosses." At the end, she slyly added, "That is, if we're telling anybody anything."

Jamie smiled and squeezed Eddie's knee. "I vote for not telling anybody anything. But let's change your dressings again, eat some breakfast, and we can make that decision after."

But even as he said those words, Jamie knew there was no decision to make.

* * *

 **Eddie**

After Jamie changed Eddie's dressings, taking extra care with her bullet graze, the two of them went to the kitchen and ate pancakes that Jamie made. Eddie devoured them with syrup and whipped cream, thrilled to have her appetite back, and after taking her medication, her and Jamie remained seated at the table. Their words from earlier hung between them.

"Okay, so..." Jamie began, looking down at his clasped hands. "I hope we're on the same page with... everything, but I'm just going to lay it out here. I have feelings for you; I think that's obvious, but I know sometimes I'm not very good at articulating things, so I'm sorry if I didn't make it clear that I feel that way. I have for a while now, since almost the very beginning."

Jamie's voice was shaky, and his words hit Eddie like a freight train. She didn't need to think one bit about what she said next. "I have feelings for you, too. I know I told you that a while back... But I feel completely different now. Everything is different, and I think that, for once, it's in a good way."

Jamie smiled a smile that took Eddie's breath away and grabbed her hands on the table. "I'm ready to do this when you are, Eddie, and we'll worry about work and the bosses later. Let's just focus on here and now and getting you better. And then I'm ready."

Eddie nodded, giddy. "That sounds perfect to me."

* * *

After Jamie and Eddie had their talk, everything seemed even lighter between them. Having their feelings admitted aloud and with things previously unsaid no longer hanging between them, everything really had shifted. Everything was different, and for once, change didn't terrify her. Not this change, anyway.

Eddie felt a strange sense of peace when she realized they had absolutely nothing planned for the day. No doctor's appointments, no shopping to do and, hopefully, no Brian. It was Sunday, the day Jamie usually spent with his family, and considering that he had missed so many because of her already, she proposed something she knew he would say no to: "I think you should go to your family today, Jamie." He was shaking his head already, but she continued. "I really do. You've missed so many of those because of me, and like I said, I want things to return to some semblance of normal for you."

Jamie pursed his lips, and Eddie waited for his adamant "no" and the inevitable "I'm not leaving you here." But instead, he shocked her by saying, "Okay."

Eddie's eyes widened in shock, and she was as close to speechless as she'd ever been in her life. "Okay?" she asked, completely incredulous.

Jamie nodded, and a smile was starting to tug at the corners of his lips. "Okay. On one condition. You're coming with me."

* * *

 **Author's note: YAY! Eddie has been invited to her first Reagan family Sunday dinner. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. The next few chapters will have its usual scary elements as well as some romance, so be ready for that soon. If you loved this chapter, please review! Thank you for reading.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's note: Wow! I'm banging these chapters out like a mad woman. I'm really getting on a roll with this story and I'm so enjoying you all giving me your feedback. I've been planning a lot of these scenes for a while, and it's so great to finally write them down. So thank you so much for reading and reviewing and being so kind.**

* * *

 **Chapter Fifteen**

 **Eddie**

Eddie took a deep breath as she looked in the full-length mirror that stood in her bedroom, staring at herself and nearly crying. She had done her make-up, covering as many of her remaining bruises as she possibly could, and then it came time to decide what to wear, which was a surprisingly difficult task. _What does one wear to their first Reagan family Sunday dinner?_ she'd thought to herself as she scanned her closet. She stood in there for so long that Jamie asked if she was okay (of course he did).

But finally, right when she'd been about to give up, she'd found the perfect top, hanging in the back of her closet. She'd only worn it once on a date a couple years before. It was a little black number, a dress with long sleeves that went just past her knees. It was beautiful but casual, and she figured that was exactly what she needed. She didn't want to be too dressed up but not too dressed down, either, so the black dress was perfect in her mind.

And it obviously was in Jamie's mind, too.

When Eddie walked out of her bedroom and into the living room where he was sitting, Jamie Reagan's jaw fell on the floor, and he looked her up and down in admiration. For the second time in not even twenty-four hours, Eddie Janko blushed. "What do you think?" she asked, her voice much shakier than she liked. _Pull your head out of your ass, Eddie_ , she told herself. It was obvious by his face what Jamie thought, but she'd asked anyway.

Jamie quickly picked his jaw up off the floor, but his eyes were still wide, and he looked a little flushed. "I think... I think you look beautiful, Eddie. Stunning, actually." He stood from the sofa and walked up to her, putting his hands on her arms, avoiding her bullet graze. "But then again, there's nothing new with that. It's just... I never see you in a dress."

"Oh... Is that why your jaw was on the floor?" Eddie said, smiling slyly and staring at his flushed face. _I'm enjoying this far too much_ , Eddie thought, although she was sure her face was flushed, too. She had never seen Jamie's eyes look her up and down like that, and she cursed herself when she realized she wanted him to do it again. She'd wanted to look at him the same way numerous times, and how she'd refrained, she wasn't sure.

Jamie returned her sly smile with a matching one and leaned in to kiss her cheek, whispering in her ear, "No. I think we've established that my jaw was on the floor because you look hot. More so than usual." With that, he pulled away and winked, and now Eddie was damn sure that _she_ was the flushed mess. His words in her ear and his lips on her cheek had sent a thrill down her spine and straight to her core. _What am I getting myself into?_

"You don't look so bad yourself, Reagan," Eddie said when she could finally recover from Jamie's whispered words. He looked delicious, in fact. He was wearing a dark blue sweater and blue jeans, and even Eddie could admit that they made damn good-looking pair.

Of course, in true protective Jamie Reagan fashion, Jamie made Eddie wear a coat _and_ wrap a scarf around her face before they left the apartment. When she grumbled under her breath, Jamie merely said, "It's thirteen degrees outside. Pneumonia." If Eddie hadn't had a scarf tied around her face, she would have said "Screw pneumonia."

Jamie armed the alarm system and then they were off. The moment they walked outside, waving at the armed policemen guarding the building, Eddie felt like she had been slapped in the face by the cold. Honestly, it felt colder than thirteen degrees, and Eddie was shivering violently even after they were in Jamie's Mustang with the heat on full blast.

Hearing her teeth chattering even through the scarf, Jamie reached over and put a hand on her leg. "Are you okay? Are you sure we shouldn't go back to the apartment and cancel this thing?" he asked, running his thumb over her still-bruised kneecap, leaving her skin tingling with his warm fingers.

Eddie shook her head, removing her scarf from her face. "No, Reagan. I'm fine. I'm just cold... I can't seem to shake it."

Even as he looked ahead at the road, Eddie could see Jamie's forehead crease with worry (she still found it cute as all hell). "Okay. I don't want you to catch pneumonia; that's the last thing you need. If you feel sick, tell me, and we can leave in two seconds."

Eddie smiled, realizing that he hadn't removed his hand from her leg and that her skin was still tingling. "I'll be fine, Reagan. Stop worrying. Jesus." Eddie put her hand over his and squeezed his fingers.

In the warm car, with his hand on her knee and her hand on top of his hand, Eddie felt truly safe for the first time in weeks. She'd always felt safe with him while they were on the job, in the RMP side by side or chasing a perp. But this was different, and she couldn't help but hope it would never end. But unfortunately, the ride to dinner was far too short, and Eddie wished then that she could extend the moment in the car a little longer.

Somehow, Eddie managed to talk Jamie out of tying the scarf around her face, insisting that it was humiliating. However, what was equally embarrassing was Jamie practically carrying her over the sheets of ice that covered the driveway of the beautiful house, where Jamie's family awaited them. Both of their faces were flushed when Frank opened the door, and suddenly, the moment seemed surreal. _I'm at a Reagan family dinner_.

Frank ushered them inside quickly, took their coats, and even gave Eddie a slightly fatherly hug. "Make it up the driveway okay, Eddie?" Eddie immediately got red in the face, realizing they had seen her being lifted over the ice.

"I did. Thank you, Commissioner," Eddie said, glancing at Jamie, who was smiling and, now, shaking his dad's hand.

"Please, call me Frank," Frank told Eddie, smiling warmly at her, and she couldn't help but to smile back at him, despite her humiliation about the driveway incident. "We're so thrilled you're here."

"I'm thrilled to be here. Thank you for having me," Eddie said, her nerves suddenly gone. She felt that her words had double meaning; she was thrilled she was at this dinner with Jamie's family, but she also meant she was thrilled to be alive.

But she knew she didn't have to say that part. Everybody here knew how lucky she was to be alive, and for that, she was grateful.

* * *

 **Jamie**

Seeing Eddie in his childhood home had an unexpected effect on Jamie. He got a glimpse of the future, a future of Eddie being here often, of her becoming a regular fixture at the weekly Reagan family dinners.

As they walked into the dining room where Erin, Linda, and Danny were, Jamie found himself keeping a hand on the small of Eddie's back. Whether it was a show of affection, a need to make sure she was steady, or both, he wasn't sure. All he knew was that Eddie didn't seem to be worried about what anybody thought. And neither was he.

Jamie watched as Eddie greeted Erin, Linda, and Danny, talking to them as if she'd known them forever. She looked tired but happy, even as they asked how she was feeling. However, they didn't look at her like she was broken, and Jamie knew she appreciated that. He appreciated it, too, and he would tell them so later.

After introducing herself to Jack and Sean and talking briefly to Nicky and, of course, Pops, who told her how happy he was she was there, Eddie let Jamie lead her into the kitchen for food. Eddie scooped a huge piece of lasagna onto her plate, as well as a piece of garlic bread and a scoop of salad. Jamie smiled behind her, thrilled to see her appetite back and in full force. Three weeks ago, she refused to eat anything but cheeseburgers and cereal. Now they had graduated to lasagna and ravioli and garlic bread and salad. _We're doing something right,_ Jamie thought.

After they both had their food, Jamie and Eddie walked into the dining room, where everybody was seated and chatting amongst themselves. In true Reagan fashion, they accepted Eddie like she was one of them, and Jamie was unbelievably proud and thrilled at their acceptance of her. Eddie fit in perfectly and she seemed to glow. Jamie was in awe of her beauty and poise, so very different from her unbelievably tough demeanor on the job.

The talk amongst Jamie's family and Eddie was casual as they ate. Jamie and Eddie were both beyond grateful that nobody brought up Brian or Cara Thomas or what had happened to Eddie. They talked about their kids and their jobs and Danny and Erin had a playful squabble as usual. At one point, Jamie looked over at Eddie and saw that she had eaten all her food and looked happy as a lark. Jamie had been worried about nausea, knowing her medicine could cause it, but she appeared to be fine.

Eddie insisted on helping Erin with the dishes, so Jamie stayed in the dining room with Danny and Frank, while Linda, Sean, Jack, Nicky, and Pops all retreated to the living room.

That's when Danny told him, quietly. The coroner's report was back, and it was horrifying. Cara Thomas has been repeatedly raped, beaten, stabbed, and finally killed by someone stepping on her throat and crushing it. Jamie felt his blood turn to ice in his veins, and he thought for a moment that he was going to throw up right there. The first thought in his mind was: _That was almost Eddie_.

As he heard Eddie chatting happily with Erin in the kitchen, Jamie made a conscious decision not to tell Eddie what had come of Cara's autopsy. Not for a while, at least. He didn't see a reason to make her even more afraid and have the thoughts of Cara's last moments haunting her, like Jamie was sure they would haunt him.

Danny put a hand on Jamie's shoulder, and both Danny and Frank had their lips pursed in a grim line. "I'm sorry, kid," Danny said, probably seeing that Jamie had practically gone gray. "How's Eddie doing?"

Jamie tried to compose himself, still feeling like he was about to vomit. "She's doing good. This doctor, a psychiatrist named Iris Ackerman, put her on an anti-anxiety medicine and something to help her sleep. So she at least is less terrified and is getting some sleep. But I'm not telling her what happened to Cara. Not yet."

"There's not much point, son," Frank said, patting his son on the shoulder. "She knows who she's dealing with. He abused her when they were together, right?"

Jamie nodded, remembering everything Eddie told him. "He put her in the hospital for two days and beat her constantly. And after the... After what he did to her this last time, she _definitely_ knows who she's dealing with. I'm not going to cause her any extra unnecessary pain."

Danny smiled warmly at his brother. "You care about her, kid. And she needs that more than anything right now."

Jamie smiled back and turned to look at Eddie, whose laughter he could hear coming from the kitchen. "I do care about her. More than just about anybody." Jamie wanted to add _And I love her_ , but thought better of it, even though it was true. He just wasn't sure he was ready to say it out loud yet.

* * *

After the initial shock of the coroner's report on Cara Thomas wore off, Jamie could enjoy the evening a lot more. He watched as Eddie laughed and talked with him and his family, lighter than she'd been in weeks; months, in fact, if you counted the last few months where Brian was stalking her and she just wasn't herself. _He_ felt lighter than he had in months as he watched her. Eddie even played two games of cards with Henry and Nicky.

They stayed until nearly ten o'clock. Eddie had come in to sit by Danny, Jamie, and Frank for a while when Jamie noticed her starting to fade. Her blue eyes were droopy and she was damn near slumped over in her chair. But she looked happy, and that was what mattered to Jamie. That was _all_ that mattered. If she was wrung out with pure happiness by the end of the day, then so be it.

Finally, after seeing Eddie grow more tired by the second, Jamie asked her if she was ready to leave, and she nodded, smiling tiredly. As they got up to leave, Eddie wandered around and said goodbye to everybody, shaking hands with the guys and hugging the women. Nicky, Sean, and Jack had disappeared off somewhere by this point, so the room was quiet. "Thank you again for having me," Eddie told Frank and Henry as she and Jamie slipped their coats on, with Eddie once again talking Jamie out of tying the scarf around her mouth.

Jamie did, however, insist that he lift her over the icy patches, and that was one thing she didn't protest to. Jamie opened Eddie's door and then ran around quickly to start the car and get the heat going. Eddie was shivering violently again despite her coat, and Jamie wasn't sure if it was the cold or exhaustion. Either way, he looked at her with concern and she saw it in his face immediately. "S-Stop worrying, Reagan," she said, further proving Jamie's point by shivering as she said it. "I'm just tired. I shiver when I'm tired. But tonight was the best night."

Jamie smiled happily as he backed out of the driveway. "Yes, it was."

Not five minutes into the drive back, Jamie looked over at Eddie and she was sound asleep, her head turned towards him. She looked peaceful, her sleep seemingly undisturbed by nightmares. As Jamie drove, the radio had been playing softly in the background, and finally it played a song he knew: Say You Won't Let Go by James Arthur. The lyrics immediately spoke to him as he occasionally glanced over at a sleeping Eddie.

 _Then you smiled over your shoulder_

 _For a minute I was stone-cold sober_

 _I pulled you closer to my chest_

 _And you asked me to stay over_

 _I said, I already told you,_

 _I think that you should get some rest_

 _I knew I loved you then,_

 _but you'd never know_

' _cause I played it cool_

 _when I was scared of letting go_

 _I knew I needed you_

 _but I never showed_

 _But I wanna stay with you_

 _until we're gray and old_

 _Just say you won't let go_

 _Just say you won't let go..._

It wasn't until Jamie listened to the entire song for the first time that he realized he felt all of that about Eddie. He was in love with his partner, and now he had a feeling there was no turning back. He knew she felt the same way, and that made everything even more real. Now he just had to figure out a way to express in a manner that wouldn't scare Eddie away, and the right time to do so. She had been through so much, which he had been through with her, and he didn't want to rush anything.

So he stuck to his guns on what they'd said the night before: _take it slow_.

Or at least he would try his very best. As he looked over at his sleeping partner, though, he realized how difficult that might be.

* * *

When Jamie and Eddie pulled up to Eddie's apartment complex, Eddie was still sound asleep, so after parking the car, Jamie turned down the radio and touched Eddie softly on the cheek to wake her up. For once, she didn't jump awake and instead came to slowly. "Jamie?"

"Yeah, it's me. You fell asleep. Can you walk or do you want me to carry you?"

Eddie sat upright quickly, smacking her head in the process. "You're not carrying me anywhere, Reagan," she said with a smile as she fumbled with the car door before Jamie had a chance to go around and open it for her.

Finally, Eddie agreed to tie the scarf around her mouth, but not without grumbling under her breath about it as much as possible. They waved to the armed policemen as they walked in. Eddie walked slumped in exhaustion against Jamie most of the way, and he was bearing most of her weight by the time they got inside her apartment. After he re-armed the alarm system, Jamie scooped Eddie up and carried her bridal-style to the sofa, despite her protests.

Jamie quickly cleared the apartment, his hand on his weapon. After finding nothing, Jamie returned to the living room and carried Eddie to her bedroom, her head lolling against his chest. He assumed she wouldn't need her Ambien tonight, so he nudged her awake with a gentle hand on her face and told her all she needed to do was change for bed and then she could sleep. She grumbled but did so groggily, dressing in night shorts and a t-shirt briefly before crawling under the covers.

Assuming she would be fast asleep by the time he got back to the bedroom after changing his own clothes, Jamie was surprised to come back to Eddie's bedroom to find her still awake (barely), staring at him with a far-away look in her eyes. "Will you sleep with me tonight? Not... like that. Just sleep with me, here, like you did last night. I've wanted to be alone with you all night during dinner, and I want you to stay."

Eddie looked insecure, like she was agonizing over her own words or regretting them, so Jamie quickly eased her mind by stroking her hair and whispering. "Shhh. I'll stay. I have to say, Eddie, I've wanted to be alone with you all night, too. Believe me." Before he knew it, something he'd been thinking for God knows how long slipped out of his mouth. "Actually, I've wanted to be alone with you, like this, from the very beginning of our partnership. Brian may have done something awful and brought us together in one aspect, but this, what's happening right now, is all us."

Eddie smiled sleepily, absentmindedly running her fingers up and down Jamie's arm. She'd meant it in such a non-sexual way, but Jamie's skin still tingled at the contact. There was a bare strip of skin on Eddie's stomach exposed by her t-shirt, and it took everything Jamie had not to reach out and touch it. Somehow, he resisted and instead leaned down to kiss Eddie's forehead.

"Thank you for tonight, Jamie," Eddie said, suddenly seeming wide awake and smiling as Jamie got settled beside her. "And you're right. This _is_ all us. And you know what?"

Jamie smiled over at Eddie, whose beautiful face was illuminated by moonlight streaming in the bedroom window. "What's that?"

"It's about damn time."

And suddenly, Eddie's lips were on his.

* * *

 **Brian**

 _December 18th_

 _I paid Dr. Iris Ackerman a visit today. Well, I stood by her house anyway, casing the place out. It was after 10 p.m., but lights were on all inside the house. Snow was pelting my face and I had a cigarette every so often, standing by a tree across the street, in the shadows. The house was on 17th Street, in an affluential neighborhood called Willow Brook. Dr. Ackerman didn't get home until 7 p.m., and of course, she didn't see me._

 _She thinks she's untouchable. I can see it in the way she looked down at her phone as she walked from the car to the house, completely unaware of her surroundings. She thinks she's untouchable just like Eddie did. Just like Drew did. Just like Cara Thomas did._

 _She's about to find out otherwise, just like all of them did._

* * *

 **Author's note:** **I'm so sorry to leave it on a cliffhanger like that. But I promise the romance between Jamie and Eddie will continue, and I hope I don't disappoint any of you! Also, an exciting announcement is coming soon, so make sure you read the author's notes on every chapter. ;) Thank you for reading!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

 **Eddie**

The minute Eddie's lips landed on Jamie's, everything in her body lit up. Sure, they had kissed before, but this was different. This was filled with intent and lust and everything they had and hadn't said and, most terrifying of all, love. The kisses started out slow and sensual and then quickly turned to fast and fervent. When Jamie's lips trailed along Eddie's jaw to her neck, she was ready to give him everything right there.

Slowly but surely, Jamie lowered Eddie from her seated position down to her back, his hands on either side of her face, and settled himself on top of her. She could feel his arousal against her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing him into her. As his kisses continued, his hands began to roam, down her neck, then her arms, then her chest, where they stopped and lingered. Eddie threw her head back and Jamie's lips were on her neck again.

Suddenly, Eddie was hit with a flashback of Brian on top of her, his tongue all over her neck and her screaming with everything she had in her, which wasn't much at that point. She stilled under Jamie completely, and even still constantly aware of her needs, Jamie noticed immediately and put his hands on either side of her face again, analyzing it closely. "Eddie, hey... What's wrong?"

Eddie shook her head violently, fighting back tears. "Nothing. I just... It was a flashback. Brian... when he was on top of me. It just all came flooding back. I'm... I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry..." Tears began to stream down her cheeks, tears of anger and every other emotion she could think of.

Jamie rolled off Eddie and laid beside her, pulling her as close to him as she could possibly get, her head tucked under his chin. One of his hands were on the back of her head and one was on her back. "Don't apologize to me for anything, Eddie. Not ever, unless it's you apologizing for making me fall head over heels for you from day one. Then you can apologize to me over..." He kissed her forehead softly. "And over..." He kissed her forehead again. "And over again. Then you can apologize a million times a day if you want."

Eddie smiled up at him at his words, his face alight with the moonlight slithering in through the blinds. She had butterflies in her stomach. "Well, if that's the case, you need to be apologizing to me, too. But I was apologizing because I wanted... this..." She gestured between their bodies, even though he knew good and well that she was referring to what they'd nearly just done. "I wanted it worse than you can imagine. But Brian got in the way - again - and I'm sorry for that."

Jamie's smile changed to a smirk. "Trust me, I can imagine. But I also can imagine how difficult it will be to do 'this' as you referred to it, and we'll take it slow. As slow as you want. Okay?" When Eddie nodded, he continued. "I want you, Eddie. I want us. And I'm willing to wait however long I have to and to go at a pace that's comfortable for you. So we'll do...this...when you're ready."

Eddie couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry or both. All emotions about Brian and the flashback were gone, and all that was left were her emotions about Jamie and everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. "Okay. I think that's just about the best thing I've heard in a long time. And it's one of the first times any guy has ever put my feelings before, you know... this."

Jamie let out a low chuckle and squeezed Eddie tightly to him. "And it won't be the last."

Eddie settled her face into Jamie's neck and smiled. She could feel him smiling, too. She realized something then, as they laid there in the dark in her bed, something that took her breath away.

 _Brian didn't win._

* * *

When Eddie awoke the next morning to sunlight streaming into her bedroom, she felt unusually warm. Hot, in fact. As she became more aware of her surroundings, she realized her legs were tangled with somebody else's, in her bed. And that that person she was all tangled up with was Jamie.

Suddenly, last night came back to Eddie in a rush, knocking the breath right out of her. The dinner with Jamie's family. Jamie carrying her to her bedroom after she'd fallen asleep in the car on the way home, where she'd gotten dressed in a haze of happy exhaustion. She remembered settling under the covers and words exchanged between her and Jamie and then her lips were on his and her entire body was alight. She remembered his lips and his hands roaming her body, and then she remembered what had stopped them: a flashback of Brian raping her that night weeks ago.

Tears began to form in Eddie's eyes at the memories, the good and the horrible, and she blinked them away quickly, gazing up at Jamie. He was still sound asleep, his head turned towards her. Both arms were wrapped around her, and suddenly, she didn't mind being unusually warm at all. The clock on the nightstand said it was just after 8:15 a.m. Eddie snuggled deeper into Jamie's arms, feeling safe and warm and all sorts of things she hadn't felt in longer than she cared to admit.

She laid there, wide awake but too comfortable to move even though her stomach was growling, until Jamie finally woke up at 9:00. He opened his eyes slowly, blinking a few times, and then his gaze immediately landed on Eddie. "Good morning," he said, his voice raspy in the most delicious way possible. "You okay?"

Eddie smiled, absentmindedly stroking Jamie's fingers on the hand that was wrapped around her. "I'm fine. I'm hungry as hell, though." As if on cue, Eddie's stomach growled loudly, and both her and Jamie let out a loud laugh as Eddie sat up in bed, swiping a hand across her face. "Obviously, I need to shower and then get food. ASAP."

Jamie smiled and kissed Eddie's forehead. "You act like the hunger thing is something new. I don't know who you think you're fooling." Absentmindedly, Jamie was trailing his fingers up and down her spine, the only part of her back that didn't have healing wounds on it, and it was sending tingles all throughout her body. Before she could say anything, Jamie said, "Alright. I can handle the food part if you can handle the shower part."

And with that, Jamie climbed out of bed swiftly, stretching before padding through the bedroom and into the kitchen. Eddie stood and gave a big stretch herself, her cracked wrist popping in response, before going to gather towels and something to change into. Just as she was walking into the bathroom to shower, she heard Jamie say from the kitchen, "Let me know if you need any help."

Eddie raised her eyebrows. "Showering?"

"Well, that too, smartass. But I meant let me know if you get dizzy and need help. And if you feel like you're going to fall, yell and sit the hell down until I come in there."

"Yeah, yeah," Eddie said, waving a hand in his direction as if waving him off. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. And I'll let you know if I need help with, you know... showering." She threw him a flirty smile over her shoulder, stuck her tongue out at him, and disappeared into the bathroom.

* * *

 **Jamie**

It was official. Eddie was going to be the death of him. They were massively blurring the line they had set to remain partners and friends. Just friends. Soon, Jamie had a feeling that line would no longer be there at all, and he wasn't sure if he was excited or terrified or both.

Jamie went about making pancakes, trying to take his mind off of Eddie and her body and that smile she'd thrown over her shoulder, but it wasn't working. It was all he could think about, and he knew right then and there that he was screwed. Completely, utterly screwed.

Jamie listened closely for Eddie yelling for help from the bathroom, but all he could hear was the water running. And then, his phone rang from Eddie's bedroom, where he had plugged it in to charge. Suddenly, a wave of anxiety rushed over him, fearing that perhaps something had happened with Brian. Please don't let him have killed somebody else, Jamie thought as he abandoned the pancakes briefly to go pick up the phone. Sure enough, the caller ID flashed Danny. Jamie took a deep breath, trying to brace himself for something awful, before answering. "Hello?"

"Kid, Dal gave us something. Something valuable. He finally cracked." Danny didn't bother with pleasantries and sounded beyond excited. His brother's words reverberated in Jamie's head. Dal gave us something.

"Well? What did he give you?" Jamie asked impatiently, taking a seat on the unmade bed, his unoccupied ear still listening for Eddie.

"He gave us one of the addresses Brian has been staying at. Or at least it was the last one Dal knew of, anyway. Baez and I are headed there now with TARU to search the place. It's 2301 29th Street, a shitty-ass apartment complex that only scum like Brian would ever live in. Apartment 3B." Jamie quickly grabbed a pen and paper from the bedside drawer - where he found a box of condoms and decided not to think too hard about that one - and scribbled down the address, knowing exactly the apartment complex Danny was talking about. Eddie and him had responded to domestics there numerous times. "And there's one more thing."

 _Oh, shit_. "What's that?"

"Your apartment complex has been cleared. They're still repairing the other building that was damaged, but you're clear to go back home. Is Eddie there?"

 _How the hell am I going to break this to him?_ "Yeah, she's here. She's in the shower. Listen, Danny, about the apartment... I'm not going back. Not for a while, at least. Eddie needs me here." _And I need her_ , Jamie thought, looking back at the bed they had slept in together last night.

Danny was quiet for a moment on the other end of the line. Jamie's heart started to pound again, this time for another reason entirely. He was expecting Danny to ask him what the hell he thought he was doing and all that, so Jamie was shocked when Danny said, "Oh. Okay. Make sure to tell Eddie about the Brian development. We'll let you know when we find something."

When the brothers hung up, Jamie stayed seated on the bed, bewildered. Maybe him and Eddie wouldn't be such a big deal to everybody. Or maybe Danny just wasn't saying anything right then and there and would save it for the next family dinner. Either way, Jamie was nervous as hell. Those nerves multiplied by about a thousand when Eddie returned to the bedroom soaking wet from her shower, obviously not expecting Jamie to still be sitting there, and she was wearing only a towel that barely covered her.

 _Holy fucking shit_ , Jamie thought, trying his best to keep his jaw from falling on the floor. Eddie looked slightly startled and a little amused, probably by the look on Jamie's face. "Whatcha doin'?" she asked, eyebrows raised, staring at him like he'd lost his damn mind.

Jamie cleared his throat, trying to hide the fact that his body had betrayed him completely and that his mind was wandering to places it certainly shouldn't. "Danny called while I was making pancakes. Dal Cooper gave them an address for Brian. 2301 29th Street. Remember those shitty apartments that constantly have domestics?"

Eddie nodded, seeming completely unfazed by the fact that she was nearly naked in front of Jamie. "The place where that guy threw something heavy out the third floor window at us when we tried to get his girlfriend medical attention after she ran out into the street screaming that he'd beaten her?"

"It was a toaster oven that he almost bashed your head in with, and yes, that's the one. I wrote down the address and the apartment number, though I'm not sure what we're going to do with it." Jamie looked down at the note he'd scribbled and then remembered the condoms he'd found in her drawer. He decided to save that discussion for later. Much, much later. "Just curious... Why are you in here with no clothes on?"

Eddie's face turned slightly red. "Um... I forgot to bring underwear into the bathroom," she said with a nervous giggle, making Jamie blush a little, too. Before he could make any snide comment, Eddie turned to her dresser and pulled out a pair of underwear. Then, she turned the tables on him. "Just curious... Why are you in here and not making me pancakes?"

"Point taken," Jamie said with a laugh, albeit an uncomfortable one. The sexual tension in the room was so thick you could have cut it with a knife, but it's not like that was anything new. The new part was Eddie wearing only a towel in front of him, dripping wet. He was eager to get back to the kitchen and away from all that for a moment so he could finally breathe. "Alright. Get dressed, I'll get back to making your pancakes, then we'll change your dressings after breakfast." Eddie nodded in agreement and Jamie hauled ass out of there as fast as he could while Eddie padded back to the bathroom.

Just as Jamie was finishing making breakfast, Eddie came out of the bathroom in sweatpants and what Jamie was positive was his t-shirt, a baby blue one that brought out her eyes. Her hair was still wet and up in a ponytail, but she'd put make-up on. The bruises had faded significantly, and she was starting to look and act like the Eddie he knew and loved. He raised his eyebrows at her when she walked out and pointed to what she was wearing. "Really? So you're stealing my clothes now?" he said, grinning as he took in the sight.

Eddie smirked and leaned against the counter, watching him. "Yeah, well, I haven't felt well enough to do laundry and I found this laying around so..." Jamie was pretty sure it hadn't been "laying around," but he decided not to say anything.

"Okay then," he said, shaking his head and laughing, trying not to get all nervous with her standing there watching him. At least she's dressed now, he thought before he realized that seeing her in one of his t-shirts was almost as hot as seeing her in a towel. Almost. "Are you hungry?" he asked, trying to say something else before things got even more weird.

Eddie tipped her head and looked at him with an expression that said seriously? "Jamie, I think we've already covered that my appetite is back. I'm always hungry. Now, gimme those pancakes." She crooked her fingers at him, and he did what she asked with a smile. He always did, and he was completely okay with that.

* * *

After they ate breakfast, Jamie changed Eddie's dressings and got her medication down her. Once again, their day was empty. It hit Jamie as he and Eddie were snuggled up on the couch watching TV that he would be going back to work in two days. Two days was all he had left in this new normal they'd created, and he was suddenly hit with a wave of fear.

Sitting there in Eddie's living room in front of the TV, Jamie experienced what he was pretty sure was his first real, honest-to-God panic attack. It started with his heart pounding. Then the shaking and shortness of breath. Eddie noticed immediately and turned to him, flipping the TV off so the apartment was completely quiet. "Jamie? What's wrong?" She put her hands on his arms and looked deep into his eyes, her own eyes analyzing his face closely.

Jamie tried to speak, but it was nearly impossible to get words out. All he could say was, "Eddie, I... I can't..." He put one hand on his chest and then one on Eddie's arm in an attempt to steel himself, to get a grip and calm down.

Eddie ran her hands up and down his arms, realizing quickly what was happening. "Jamie, you need to calm down. Whatever it is, it's okay. You need to breathe or you're going to pass out. Everything's okay." She put her hands on either side of his face and ran even her cast-covered hand over his skin. Was this horrible panic what Eddie experienced?

 _Eddie's fine. I'm fine. Everything is going to be fine._ Jamie repeated these words over and over again until the tightness in his chest began to ease up a little and his breathing slowed. Eddie had been talking to him the entire time, telling him it was okay and to calm down, everything he had been telling her when she began to panic. When he'd finally calmed down enough, Eddie asked him again what was wrong. Jamie shook his head, not sure what to say. "I don't... I don't know. I just thought of going back to work in two days and leaving you here, and it was like everything came at me at once. I can't imagine how you feel, Eddie."

Jamie put his head in his hands for a minute, trying to catch his breath. Eddie's hands were on his back, massaging between his shoulder blades. "It's okay, Jamie. I promise everything will be okay. I'll be perfectly fine when you go back to work. I'll be here, on the couch, eating and sleeping and watching TV and I'll be here, safe and sound, waiting on you to come home and tell me everything about your day. Okay?"

Jamie sat back against the couch and looked at Eddie, whose face was filled with concern and protectiveness and a gentleness that he rarely saw because it was always hidden under her tough exterior. "Thank you, Eddie." He leaned over and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to his chest and squeezing her so tightly he felt like she may crack or tell him to loosen up a little. But she didn't; in fact, she buried her face in his neck and breathed in deeply, her breath tickling his skin. Just as he was thinking nothing could shatter that moment, his cell phone rang and he realized that he had unplugged it and put it in his pocket. Both of them groaned and pulled away from each other reluctantly. The caller ID flashed **Danny**.

"Who is it?" Eddie asked, trying to peer around to see the screen.

"It's Danny." He looked at her with an _oh shit_ expression and answered before he could chicken out. "Yeah, Danny?" The look on Eddie's face reflected the chaos and worry that was inside Jamie's mind perfectly.

Jamie heard his brother sigh on the other end. "We got something. Not only is this one of Brian's places, it seems to be _the_ place he's living right now. The lease isn't under his name; it's obviously a fake name. But we seized his computer. TARU is going through that now. We also found a drawer containing a cell phone; not a burner phone, an actual cell phone. You wouldn't think he would be that stupid, but..." Danny trailed off and chuckled drily. "TARU will be going through the phone, too, and we'll be going through that apartment with a fine-tooth comb as well as interviewing neighbors, although I highly doubt anybody in that shit hole will say much. It's even worse than I remember."

"Brian probably did that on purpose. He probably moved there _because_ he knew that nobody would say anything if the police came," Jamie figured. Eddie obviously was trying to hear what Danny was saying because she practically had her face pressed up against Jamie's. "So what next? What if Brian comes back while you're there?"

"We have a warrant to search the place, and we'll arrest the bastard if he comes back. We have all the proof we need. But there's one more thing, Jamie."

Jamie's heart leapt into his throat. "What?" He tried to keep his expression neutral for Eddie's sake, knowing she would panic if he did.

"The DNA from Cara Thomas's rape kit is back. It matches the DNA on Eddie. So we have evidence that links the two cases together, which is all we needed. Obviously, we all knew they were connected, but we have to have concrete proof, and now we do."

Jamie nodded, his feelings a mixture of happiness and sadness. Happiness because they'd successfully linked Cara and Eddie, and sadness because Cara had lost her life on top of everything else. "What do you need us to do? What can we do to help?" Jamie asked.

"Nothin' right now, kid. Just keep yourself and Eddie safe. That's the most important thing. We'll call when we find something." Danny sounded optimistic as they hung up, but Jamie refused to let himself get too excited.

Eddie, obviously, _was_ excited. She grabbed his arms and her eyes were wild. "Well? What the hell did he say, Reagan?"

"Calm down, Janko. Jesus," Jamie said with a laugh. "It's good news. He said that the address Dal gave him is the address that Brian seems to be currently staying at. They got a warrant, searched the place, seized his computer _and_ a cell phone. TARU is searching through both. And if he comes back there, they'll be staking the place out and will arrest him. He has to go back sometime, right?"

Eddie's look of excitement was replaced by one of something Jamie couldn't quite identify. She began chewing her lip again. "So they found the apartment, but he's still out there?" Jamie could tell she was trying not to sound scared, but it obviously wasn't working.

Jamie nodded and put his hands on Eddie's crossed legs. "He is. But they're going to catch him, Eddie, and until then, you're _safe_. I promise you that." Then, it occurred to him that Danny had told him something else about Cara's autopsy. "Cara Thomas's rape kit evidence came back. It matches what was on... what was on your body when they examined you." Jamie still had a hard time with what had happened to Eddie, and he felt like it bothered him more than it did her at times. "So they've got a link between you and Cara. Now they just need to get Brian and compare DNA, which we all know will match."

Eddie merely nodded and looked down at her hands. She looked defeated, and Jamie knew it was because yes, they had DNA and yes, it matched what was on Eddie, but Cara had still lost her life. Really, that was what haunted both Jamie and Eddie the most.

Jamie reached up and put one finger under Eddie's chin, tilting her head up. "Eddie, look at me." When she did, her stunning blue eyes were filled with tears. "Everything's going to be fine. You just told me that, and it's true. Everything will be okay. You're safe and I'm safe and it's going to stay that way. I'm here for you every step of the way, and I'll never leave you, ever again."

He meant every single word, and he was sure Eddie knew that.

* * *

 **Eddie**

Soon after Jamie's panic attack, the call from Danny, and then Eddie's slight emotional breakdown, Eddie cuddled up against Jamie again and they both ended up asleep, Jamie's head against the arm of the couch and Eddie tucked into his side.

When Eddie awoke, the clock said it was just after 6:30 p.m., meaning they had slept for hours. As if he had some type of radar, Jamie woke up not two minutes later and looked down at her, looking momentarily panicked until his eyes focused in on her and he realized she was in his arms, safe and sound. His hand rubbed up and down her back, his gentle fingers trailing up and down her spine again. They laid there for a minute before Eddie finally spoke. "You remember when I asked you if you ever thought about what we might be missing out on?" she asked quietly, referring to the night they'd danced together, the only couple with matching black eyes and all that.

Jamie nodded, smiling at the memory. "Of course I remember that. I couldn't forget that night if I tried."

Eddie smiled, too, remembering the feel of her hand in his as they danced to "What a Wonderful World." She remembered it, all of it, like it was yesterday. "Well, you know what I think?"

"What's that?" He had an adoring look on his face that melted her into a puddle of goo.

"I think _this_ is what we were missing out on." And to further prove her point, she kissed him again, but this time it was a slow and gentle kiss, not so fervent that it might lead to something she couldn't yet handle. She couldn't handle _that_ yet, but she was confident that she would in time, and hopefully not too much time at that.

 _It's about damn time_ , she thought as she kissed him again and snuggled into his side.

* * *

 **Author's note: Well, there you have chapter sixteen. Writing Jamko for you guys has been so much fun and I can't wait to continue with this story. Chapter seventeen is already started. I decided to make this chapter mostly fluff and all that fun shit, although obviously there's some drama. And don't worry, some serious steam between Eddie and Jamie is coming. Prepare yourselves, and don't forget to leave a review. Thanks for reading! :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

 **Jamie**

The phone call came late that night, hours after Danny had last called. Jamie was wide awake, watching Eddie sleep, making sure she was okay and dozing off every once in a while. He was just about to doze back off again when the phone rang. Jamie's stomach dropped when he realized it was nearly 1:00 a.m., and that the caller ID was flashing **Danny**. Thoughts started to race through Jamie's mind at all the possibilities of what Danny could possibly be calling at one o'clock in the morning to tell him. Had they found Brian? Was somebody else dead?

In order to not wake Eddie, who was sleeping soundly thanks to a sleeping pill, Jamie stepped out into the living room to take the call. He steeled himself before answering, something he had become accustomed to doing since the constant bad news that had been coming since _that night_. "Danny? What's up?"

"We just left Brian's place. We've been staking the place out, and the bad news is he never came home. The good-ish news is that we found the motherlode of horrifying crap on Brian's computer and phone, so when we catch him, he'll be going away for that on its own."

Jamie tried to breathe around the boulder that seemed to have formed in his throat. "What kind of horrifying crap? Like how bad are we talking?"

"I'm not going to go into detail. But he had a video of him torturing Cara Thomas on his computer. It was an encrypted file, but TARU cracked it. It was..." Danny trailed off and cleared his throat. He sounded incredibly upset by this, and that upset Jamie. "It was some pretty awful stuff, Jamie. What Cara went through before she died is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy." He sounded haunted, something Jamie hadn't heard from his brother in ages. He was sure that Danny was also thinking about how easily that could have been Eddie.

"Did you find anything else?" Jamie asked, trying to remain calm and keep his voice level. It was immensely difficult, and he couldn't imagine what Danny had to be going through after seeing what he'd just seen.

"We did. We found something similar to a journal on his computer. It was password-protected, so it took a while, but we got it. In it he wrote about how he's been watching Eddie for the last six months. He wrote about everything he did to her that night a few weeks ago. He wrote about watching you and Eddie, and seeing you in the hospital with her. He wrote about everything he did to Cara Thomas before he killed her. The last entry was from a couple days ago, talking about a doctor named Iris Ackerman. Does that sound familiar to you?"

Now Jamie really felt like he might throw up. "That's... That's Eddie's psychiatrist. She just started seeing her. What the hell does he want with her?"

Danny sighed and Jamie heard him curse quietly. "In his entry he said something about her thinking she was invincible or untouchable or something like that, and that he was going to show her otherwise, just like he showed Eddie and Drew and Cara Thomas. I'm guessing that he wants to get Dr. Ackerman out of the picture by threatening her or... maybe killing her."

Jamie sighed deeply and swallowed down the bile that crept its way up into his throat. "This is insane. _He's_ insane. Please tell me you're watching Dr. Ackerman."

"We are, kid. Don't worry. We called her at home tonight around 11and alerted her to the threats being made against her, and we've been informed that he's been making threatening phone calls to her office. We've got one unit on her house and one at her office."

Jamie breathed a sigh of relief, although he felt a bizarre mixture of emotions. He quietly walked back to the bedroom and peeked in at Eddie, who appeared to still be in a peaceful sleep. "Eddie is asleep. I better go, Danny," he said quietly. "It's getting crippling how much I don't want to let her out of my sight, even when she's asleep."

"I understand, kid. Go be with her. Try to get some rest yourself," Danny told him, his voice shifting into what Jamie considered his "big brother" voice.

"I will. Thanks, Danny. Not just for everything you're doing but for understanding everything with Eddie. You know how I feel about her and I appreciate that you understand that. So... thank you."

"No problem, kid. Good night. I'll call you if we find anything else."

"Good night, Danny," Jamie said before hanging up and plugging his phone back in to charge. Slowly and quietly, he walked back into Eddie's bedroom and was surprised to find her awake and looking at him. "Ed, you okay?"

Eddie nodded and rubbed her eyes. "I'm fine. Are you? It's past 1:00. Who was on the phone? Is something wrong?" Her voice was quickly rising with panic.

Jamie reached over and stroked Eddie's hair, threading his fingers through it. "Calm down. Everything is okay." _Everything is not okay. It's horrible._ "Danny and Baez staked out the apartment on 29th Street, and Brian never came back. But TARU cracked his computer and his phone, and they found some stuff that will get him a lot of time on its own. So when they catch him, he'll be put away forever just for that, never mind everything else."

Finally, Eddie asked the inevitable question, the question Jamie wasn't sure how to answer. "What did they find on his phone and computer?"

Jamie laid down beside her, under the covers this time. She looked as exhausted as he felt. "I'll tell you in the morning. Try to sleep now. Is it okay if I sleep here?"

Eddie smiled tiredly at him and nodded, reaching out to grab his hand. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Reagan."

Jamie smiled back at her and scooted closer to her. She surprised him by moving over and tucking herself into him, her head under his chin once again. Jamie continued to run his fingers through her hair. "Go back to sleep. I'll be right here."

And that's exactly what she did.

* * *

When Jamie woke up the next morning, it was just after 9:20 a.m., and Eddie wasn't in the bed. Her spot was cold, and when Jamie heard the shower water running, he understood why. He considered going in there and reminding her that she wasn't supposed to take a shower while he was still asleep in case something happened, but he figured that charging in there when she was stark-ass naked and showering would probably massively cross what was left of the line they'd drawn when they agreed to "keep their relationship professional" months ago. "Once you've tapped this, there's no going back," Eddie had said, and Jamie had a damn good feeling she was right.

Instead of going into the bathroom, Jamie decided to have a bowl of cereal with orange juice and wait for Eddie to get out of the shower. When she finally did, she was dressed in leggings and a loose-fitting Nirvana shirt that he was pretty sure he'd never seen her in. She looked surprised to see him awake and sitting at the bar shirtless. "Hey. What's up?" she asked as she threw her wet hair up into a ponytail.

Jamie let his spoon drop into his bowl with a loud _clink_. "What's up is you showered without telling me. I was sound asleep. What if you fell, Eddie? What if you fell, hit your head, and I didn't wake up?" The more he talked, the louder he got, and he could see alarm in Eddie's face. "I'm sorry. You just worried me, that's all."

Eddie's face softened and she walked around the bar, wrapping her arms around his neck and putting her head on his shoulder. "I know you were worried. I didn't think about it, and I'm sorry. I'm fine, and I think I may invest in a shower chair so that I can 'sit the hell down' if I get dizzy like you always tell me to."

Jamie's face softened, too, and he put his hands on Eddie's arms that were clasped around his neck. "I think that's a good idea. From what I read online, you could have effects from this head injury and hematoma for a long time. They said your balance and coordination could be affected, as well as your memory, attention span... There was a long list, not to mention the mental changes. But if you were to lose your balance and fall again, it could kill you. So I think a shower chair is a good idea if you're going to keep taking showers without me."

Eddie's eyebrows shot up at those last words and a grin started to stretch across her face. "'Without you'?" she asked incredulously.

The minute Eddie had started to smile, Jamie realized what he'd said and gone bright red. "Jesus, Janko. You know what the hell I mean. Taking showers without my knowledge, when I'm asleep, when I'm at work... things like that."

Eddie placed a brief kiss on his cheek and walked over to the fridge, but not before she said, "Yeah, yeah. Sure that's what you meant."

 _She's literally going to be the death of me_ , Jamie thought again as Eddie nonchalantly poured herself a bowl of cereal and pulled out a can of Dr. Pepper. "Really, Eddie? Dr. Pepper with your cereal?" he asked as she sat down across from him, leaning her elbows on the counter and popping her soda can open.

She took a long swig out of the can and immediately dug into her cereal. "Yep. Sue me," she said with a sarcastic smirk, shoveling a spoonful of cereal into her mouth. "So... You told me last night that you would tell me what Danny and Baez found. Don't think I forgot. I was just too tired last night to insist you tell me right there in bed."

Jamie rolled his eyes and took a deep breath, not sure whether to be irritated or amused by her insistency. "You're a pain in the ass," he said with a shake of his head. "They found numerous things. One of them was a video of Brian torturing Cara Thomas before she died. I didn't want to tell you that part, but I knew you would find out eventually anyway, so I would rather you hear it from me.

They also found a journal-type thing where Brian detailed stalking you for six months, everything he did to you that night, stalking Cara Thomas, seeing you and I out for one of our walks and seeing me with you in the hospital, and everything he did to Cara, including how he murdered her and where."

The look in Eddie's eyes was something Jamie would never forget. She opened her mouth like she was about to say something and then quickly slapped her hand over it, running to the kitchen trash can and heaving into it. Jamie was hot on her heels once again, holding her hair and rubbing her back until she was done. When she stood up after finishing, she looked like she may faint, and Jamie quickly led her over to the arm of the couch. "Do you need me to call an ambulance? Let me get you your Zofran."

Jamie left Eddie sitting there and literally ran to the cabinet where Eddie's nausea medicine was, handing her the dosage and her Dr. Pepper. He asked again if she needed to go to the hospital, and she was shaking her head before he even finished the sentence. "No. It's just the shock. I'm fine."

Eddie sat there for a minute or two with her head in her hands, Jamie rubbing her back, until the nausea passed. "What else did Danny tell you? I need to know the rest."

This time, it was Jamie shaking his head before she'd even finished her sentence. "No, Eddie. You don't. What I just told you _literally_ made you sick, and I promise you you don't need to know the rest. It won't do you any good."

Eddie shoved herself up off the arm of the couch, her face alight with anger. "God dammit, Jamie. Brian did this to _me_! I was the one who was raped and hit and kicked and then raped some more. I have a damn right to know, and if you don't tell me, I'm going to call Danny and find out myself. So spit it out!"

Jamie wasn't sure he'd ever seen Eddie so angry, and admittedly, she had a right to be. She had a right to be angry at him and Brian and the neighbors who had obviously heard her screaming that night but hadn't reported anything. She had a right to be angry at Drew and Dal and anybody else who had ever done Brian's dirty work. She had a right to be _angry_ , and she had a right to know. So Jamie took a deep breath and told her.

"The last entry in the journal was from a couple days ago. Danny asked me if the name Iris Ackerman meant anything to me. When I told him it was your psychiatrist, he said that Brian had written something in the journal about Dr. Ackerman thinking she was 'untouchable' or some shit like that, and that he would teach her otherwise. They've got units on Dr. Ackerman's house and her office." Jamie shrugged as if saying _there you have it_ and carefully assessed Eddie's facial expression and her general appearance. Her face was ashen and she was staring straight ahead, her eyes glistening with tears. "Eddie, if you need to be alone, I can go out for a while. I know you're angry with me, and I didn't mean for that to happen."

Eddie shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "Please don't leave. I'm sorry. I know you were trying to protect me; you always are, and I should never be angry at you for that. So please don't leave." Eddie swiped the tears from her cheeks and chewed the inside of her mouth, seemingly pondering something. "But I need to get out of here for a while. Do you want to go for a walk around the block? The snow's letting up."

"But Brian..."

Eddie cut him off by putting up a hand. "I know what Brian said in the stupid journal. I don't care if he saw us walking before. There's a unit outside the building, plus the armed guys at the door. We'll be fine. And as I've said a billion times, I'm not letting him win."

Eddie's face told Jamie she was not to be argued with, as it so often did. Eddie in general was not somebody you argued with, and if you _did_ argue with her, you never won. So ten minutes later, Jamie and Eddie were both bundled up as much as they could be and heading out the door. As they were going down the stairs, Eddie said, "What kind of man keeps a journal, anyway?"

Jamie chuckled a little. "That's a good question."

* * *

 **Eddie**

The cold air blasted Jamie and Eddie square in the face, but for Eddie it was welcome and refreshing. Judging by his face, Jamie disagreed, but he toughed it out for Eddie like he always did.

The sun was shining and the snow was melting, but somehow, Eddie managed to nearly slip on ice three times, with Jamie's arms shooting out quicker than Eddie had ever seen. But the further they walked, the better they felt, despite the fact that the cold was numbing all of their exposed skin. "You know what, Reagan?" Eddie asked out of the blue about half a block in, her arm looped through Jamie's.

Jamie looked down at her with an adoring look that melted her. "What's that?"

"I think we need to make these walks a regular thing. I feel so much better," she announced, gripping Jamie's arm tighter as they walked over a particularly large patch of ice that she shockingly didn't slip on. "I think being in the apartment where it happened isn't helping matters much."

Jamie pondered that for a moment as they walked a few more paces. When he finally spoke, his voice was measured and quiet. "Eddie, I think I have a solution to that."

"Jamie, if you're suggesting we take the safe house you have lost your-"

Jamie shook his head, cutting her off. "No, Eddie, I'm not talking about the safe house. I'm saying I think the solution is that we make more memories there. Maybe you can begin to forget what happened." With those words, Eddie's stomach flipped pleasantly, and she came to a complete stop right there in the middle of the sidewalk. She beamed up at him, and he beamed down at her.

"So you're staying with me for a while?" she asked, breathless from a combination of the butterflies and the cold.

"I'll stay with you as long as you'll have me," Jamie said, hugging her against him, his arms around her tightly. "We _do_ need to go back to my place and get some of my stuff, though, since I've been cleared."

Eddie nodded as she pulled away, and Jamie grabbed her gloved hand with his as they continued their walk.

"Wanna go do that now, then? Get your stuff and haul ass back here? It's our last night before you have to go back to work."

Eddie could tell that the thought of going back to work shook Jamie to his core, but he didn't show it. "Yeah. Let's do it."

* * *

 **Jamie**

Ten minutes later, Jamie and Eddie were in Jamie's Mustang, heat and radio cranked up loud. Jamie was still reeling from everything that had just gone on. He was overwhelmed with thoughts about going back to work but also thoughts of the talk he and Eddie had just had. It felt almost like a dream, a great reprieve from the nightmare that the last few weeks had been. _Maybe everything really will be okay_ , Jamie thought, smiling as Eddie sang along to Ed Sheeran's "Galway Girl," looking out the window. She was smiling, too.

They stopped at a red light and Jamie found himself staring at Eddie as she sang, nailing every single word. She turned her head and caught him staring. An embarrassed smile lit up her face. "What, Reagan?"

Jamie shook his head, trying to hide his amusement. "Nothing. I just didn't peg you for the Ed Sheeran type. I figured it would be something a little more..."

Eddie raised an eyebrow. "A little more what?"

"I don't know... Hardcore. Like rap or something," Jamie said, stumbling over his words a little as she turned the tables and stared at him, still bobbing her head.

"I like that stuff, too. I like just about every genre of music you can think of, thank you very much," Eddie said, jokingly slapping Jamie on the arm. "You don't want to see me rap Gettin' Jiggy Wit It, trust me. Not unless you get me drunk first."

Jamie rolled his eyes, trying to picture Eddie, drunk of her ass and rapping to Will Smith. It was an interesting picture. "Well, we may have to make that happen."

Eddie threw her head back and laughed a genuine belly laugh that made him want to laugh, too. "Yeah, we just might."

The rest of the drive, they sang to different songs that came on and made small talk, which seemed to be exactly what Eddie needed. She was upbeat and seemed happy, genuinely happy. Even when they pulled up in front of Jamie's halfway burned out apartment building, her mood hardly faltered. That is, until they got out of the car and to the entrance of Jamie's building. "Jamie, I'm still so sorry about this," she said as he held the door open for her.

Jamie slipped an arm around her as they made their way to his apartment. "Eddie, it's okay. This isn't your fault. You didn't ask for any of this. Plus, there's no evidence that Brian did this, so you never know. Maybe it wasn't him."

Eddie shrugged, and Jamie could tell she was mulling that over. "It just seems oddly coincidental that Brian knew I was staying with you, and suddenly the building is set on fire. But I guess it could be just that... a coincidence."

They had to take the stairwell since the elevator was out of order due to the fire, so it took them a while to get to Jamie's unit, and when they did, Eddie was heaving and nearly doubled over from exertion. Jamie rushed over to her when he noticed. "Eddie, you alright?" he asked, lifting her chin to look in her eyes.

Eddie all but waved him off. "I'm fine. I think it was just those stairs."

Jamie nodded, backing up to give her space. "You had a collapsed lung and those stairs were probably too much for your lungs to handle. Sit down when we get in the apartment if you need to. But let me clear the place first." Jamie caught Eddie rolling her eyes before he entered his apartment, his weapon pulled. He cleared the apartment and observed that everything was as it seemed, just as he and Eddie had left it. Nothing seemed to be disturbed. Holstering his weapon, he went back into the hallway and gave Eddie the okay to come in.

After locking the door, Jamie told Eddie to sit down and, to his shock, she did. She took a seat on the sofa and picked up the remote, flicking through channels while Jamie packed a duffle full of clothes, toiletries, and various other things that he didn't have at Eddie's place. She asked him if he needed help a total of nine times, and every single time he told her he was fine and to stay where she was. She obliged but not without protesting and muttering under her breath.

It took Jamie about twenty minutes to pack everything and then he and Eddie were off. The minute they were back in the still-warm car, Eddie's spirits lifted again and she seemed better. Jamie cranked the radio up loud on the way back to Eddie's building, and once again, Eddie was singing her lungs out. He remembered vividly her singing on the sidewalk the first time they'd kissed, and it gave him all sorts of feelings to think back on that, on the way he had kissed her with his hand snaking under her jacket and settling on her lower back, pulling her against him.

Trying not to think about it so much he would get caught up in the memory (or rather his body would), Jamie asked Eddie what she wanted for lunch and her response was quick, like she'd been thinking about it the whole day so far. Knowing Eddie, she probably had. "A grilled cheese."

"I think we can handle that," Jamie said, chuckling and earning himself a slap on the arm. "But let's pick up a six-pack before we go back to the apartment."

Jamie had to admit that he liked saying "the apartment" instead of "Eddie's apartment." He liked it a little too much.

* * *

 **Iris**

It started with rustling and a creepy whistle coming from outside Iris Ackerman's window. She'd just gotten home from work at around 7:00 p.m. and was making dinner for herself when she heard it. Rustling. Then a whistle, a tune she didn't recognize because and didn't particularly care to.

Trying her best not to panic, Iris grabbed her cell phone out of her purse on the kitchen table and punched in 911, ready to hit the "call" button if needed. It wasn't until she thought back to two nights before that she put two and two together. There had been a man standing by a tree across the street from her home, smoking a cigarette. It had been late, and Iris was exhausted so she'd locked up tight and gone straight to bed, her phone next to her just in case. She was sure whoever it was didn't think she'd seen him, but he was wrong. She had, and she would do something about it if she had to.

Iris stayed silent now as the rustling and whistling turned to a strange noise that sounded like metal on metal. She ran into the dining room, her gun in one hand and her cell phone in the other, turning off the kitchen light as she went. It was then, sitting in the dark and silence of the room, that she realized what the noise was: somebody was breaking into her house via the window. The window with the broken latch. The metal on metal sound was somebody - that man, obviously - jimmying the window open.

Iris hit the "call" button on her cell phone, knowing 911 would have to respond even if she couldn't say anything. She held the phone close to her side, her handgun in her other hand, and listened closely. That's when she heard it: footsteps. Whoever the man was was in her house, walking in her kitchen. Her heart pounding at easily 180 beats per minute, she steeled herself, tucked her gun in her waistband, and stood, facing the man directly. The first thing she noticed about him was the massive scar on his forehead, and then the dead look in his eyes. He was staring at her like a hungry animal. Before she could see anything else, he charged at her.

Iris's gun and her phone were knocked across the room, but she could hear the 911 operator talking from the phone's speaker and hoping the man couldn't. He knocked her to the kitchen floor, where her head smacked against the tile, and pinned her down. Even though the pain in her head was already great, he picked her up by her hair and slammed it even harder against the floor, causing her to see stars.

"W-What do you want?" she sputtered, feeling the blood soaking into her hair from the bashing of her head.

"What do you think I want? You know too much," the man spat, his hand around her throat and tightening by the second. "I want you gone, you stupid bitch. But first..." The man trailed off and unbuckled his pants, yanking them down and pulling down the sweatpants Iris had changed into when she'd gotten home. _I'm about to be raped_ , she thought, remembering all the rape survivors she'd met with. She tried to disengage, to disconnect from herself until it was over, but she was far too aware of everything for her liking.

It was only when the rape was over that Iris realized who the man was as she looked into his face. _Brian Yates. The man from the news. Killed three people. Raped one of my patients..._

Somehow managing to snake her arm behind her back as Brian was pulling up his pants, Iris yanked the gun out of her waistband and fired a single shot at him mid-sentence. She'd meant to hit his chest but, in her panic, hit his shoulder instead; however, the shot was effective, because he climbed off of her, punched her in the face one more time, called her a "stupid fucking bitch," and ran out the door, his arm bleeding profusely.

Iris crawled across the kitchen floor, barely able to see, and reached her phone. The 911 operator had disconnected, but she called back. "911, what's your emergency?" the operator asked.

Iris was breathless from the near-strangling, but she spoke as clearly as she could. "My name is Iris Ackerman. I just called earlier but I couldn't speak. A man I believe to be Brian Yates from the news has just broken into my home at 22 S 17th Street in the Willow Brook neighborhood. He knocked me to the ground, hit my head, raped me, and tried to strangle me to death. And I shot him."

* * *

 **Eddie**

It was around 7:30 p.m., and Jamie and Eddie were having a quiet night in when Jamie's cell phone rang. Eddie's heart leapt into her throat, and she was sure Jamie's did the same. It had been a great day, and now Eddie was afraid whatever news was coming would shatter everything again.

As Jamie picked up his phone, his hand reached out and grabbed Eddie's, as if that would keep him from losing it if something else awful had happened. Eddie held his hand tightly and waited as he answered the phone. "Yeah, Danny? What?! Is he...? No. Yeah, I'll tell her. We'll be careful. We'll see you soon."

Jamie hung up and stared straight ahead for a moment, while Eddie was dying to hear what had just been said between Jamie and his brother. Jamie's expression was infamously hard to read, but now it was nearly impossible. "What, Jamie? What is it?"

Jamie took a deep breath in through his nose and out through his mouth, took a sip of his beer, and turned to her. "Eddie, Brian broke in to Iris Ackerman's house and beat her, raped her, and tried to strangle her to death. He escaped, but not before she shot him."


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's note: I'm so sorry it took so long for this chapter! The 4th of July slowed me down on my writing, but I'm back on track now. I'm sorry this is so long. I hope you enjoy, and please review!**

* * *

 **Chapter Eighteen**

 **Eddie**

 _She shot him. Dr. Ackerman shot Brian._ The words bounced around in Eddie's head as she tried to process everything them, and she must have looked as nauseous as she felt, because Jamie leaned forward and studied her face closely. "Eddie? Are you okay?"

Eddie nodded, waving him off. "I'm fine. I'm just... Dr. Ackerman is kind of my hero," she said with a breathless laugh, causing Jamie to both sigh with relief and laugh along with her; however, Eddie's smile disappeared as quickly as it had come. "But obviously he's still out there... and I feel like what happened to Dr. Ackerman is my fault."

Jamie leaned forward again and put his hands on Eddie's arms. "Eddie, how many times do I have to tell you? How many times do other people have to tell you? _This is not your fault_. You didn't ask for him to become obsessed with you, you didn't ask for him to come into your apartment and nearly kill you, and you sure as hell didn't ask for any of the rest of it. You didn't ask for this any more than Cara Thomas or Dr. Ackerman did. Do you understand me?" His words were stern, but his tone was soft and gentle as his thumbs stroked Eddie's arms, leaving chills behind.

Eddie nodded, bringing one hand up to wipe away the tears that she was hardly aware had fallen, but Jamie beat her to it, swiping the back of his hand across her cheek. "Thank you, Jamie," Eddie said softly, giving him a sad smile.

"For wiping your tears away?" Jamie joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Eddie gave a little chuckle and swatted him on the arm. "No, you little shit. For talking sense into me when I'm being irrational. For not treating me like insane when I'm _acting_ insane. I've never met a guy like you. And even though you're such a pain in my ass sometimes, you're without a doubt the best guy I know, and I'm sorry that-"

Jamie effectively shut Eddie up by crashing his lips onto hers. It was a heated kiss from the start, with Jamie's hands snaking around Eddie's back and her hands in Jamie's hair. They were all clashing tongues and teeth and roaming hands. Eddie could feel Jamie's body responding, and that only made her kiss him harder. Time seemed to stand still as Jamie lowered himself onto his back on the couch, taking Eddie with him and squeezing her to him, going from kissing her fervently to kissing her softly and tenderly (something she certainly wasn't used to). It became nearly impossible to restrain herself when Jamie's lips trailed across her jaw, down her neck, and just beneath her ear.

Just as they were about to cross that line that had already become incredibly blurred, Jamie pulled away, his face flushed but his expression earnest. "Eddie, let's not yet. This doesn't feel right. You haven't been cleared by the doctor for... this."

Eddie looked down, cheeks flaming red. She felt a confusing mixture of arousal and embarrassment. "I'm sorry. You're right. I honestly don't know what I was thinking." Eddie fought the urge to bury her face in her hands and hide.

Jamie immediately put his hands on her waist and squeezed gently. "Eddie, no. You have no idea how badly I want to do this, but I want to wait until you're 100% healthy and are cleared by the doctor. It just doesn't feel right right now, especially when we're still technically work partners. But your follow-up appointment is on Friday, and if your hematoma has shrunk and the doctor clears you... I'll be ready if you are."

Eddie chuckled, absentmindedly running her fingers, nails and all, up and down Jamie's arms. "Jamie, I've been ready for _this_ pretty much since the first time I saw you." Eddie rolled over to where she was tucked between Jamie and the sofa, and Jamie hugged her to him. "I knew the minute I saw you that _this_ would happen someday."

Jamie raised his eyebrows, and he looked genuinely surprised. "Really? You wanted to sleep with me way back then?"

Eddie laughed, a hearty, happy, genuine laugh. "Yes, Jamie, I wanted to sleep with you _way_ back then, and ever since. Is that really so surprising?"

"I don't know," Jamie said with a chuckle of his own, shrugging. "I've wanted you all this time, too. Ever since you sped away in your Porsche after our first tour."

Eddie nuzzled her head into Jamie's chest, warm all over from the memory. She'd wanted him that night, too, and she'd caught his smile as she drove away.

The very same smile he was giving her now.

* * *

 **Jamie**

Jamie and Eddie spent the rest of the night tucked in together on the couch, watching TV and talking about random things, some serious and some comical. Everything was fine. She hadn't taken her anxiety medicine all day, and not needing it as often was a good sign that she was getting better mentally. She was laughing as they watched Friends on TV, and Jamie thought she seemed genuinely happy. Around 11 p.m., Eddie started to fade, nodding off every once in a while.

Eventually, she actually fell asleep and stayed asleep, and Jamie laid there, watching Friends with her in his arms for a while before he started to get tired himself. Flipping the TV off, Jamie stroked his finger up and down Eddie's cheek. "Eddie, wake up." When she didn't respond, he kissed her forehead and said again, "Eddie, wake up. It's time to go to bed."

Finally, she opened her eyes and blinked a few times before finally focusing her eyes on Jamie. "What happened?"

"You fell asleep on the couch. Everything's okay," Jamie assured her, smoothing the hair back from her forehead. "Do you want to walk to your bedroom or do you want me to carry you?"

That quickly snapped Eddie out of her haze of exhaustion. "You are _not_ carrying me to bed. I can walk."

Eddie stood and Jamie did the same, except Eddie wobbled on her feet, further proving that maybe he _should_ be carrying her. "Alright, lean on me. I won't carry you if you don't want me to but I'm at least going to make sure you don't fall on your ass."

Jamie knew Eddie was tired when she didn't even bother to argue with him. She wrapped one arm around his waist and he wrapped one around hers, and they walked like that all the way to Eddie's bedroom. In a complete daze, Eddie brushed her teeth and changed into pajama shorts and the same t-shirt she'd been wearing. She practically stumbled to the bed when she was done, and when Jamie asked her if she wanted her sleep medicine, her non-answer was answer enough.

Eddie quietly tucked herself under the covers, and Jamie sat on the edge of the bed, just like he always did anymore. Eddie was asleep within a few minutes, and Jamie realized that she looked peaceful in sleep for once. Jamie quickly changed into sweatpants and laid down beside her, knowing deep down that she wouldn't want to wake up without him there. But he also knew deep down that he wouldn't want to wake up anywhere else.

Jamie laid there for a few minutes, thinking about the fact that he would be going back to work tomorrow, leaving Eddie by herself. He knew how strong she was and that she could handle virtually anything, but he also knew that with her wrist injury and the dizziness that her TBI and medications caused, she may be no match for somebody if they wanted to hurt her badly enough. And they _all_ knew how badly Brian wanted to hurt her.

However, on the other hand, Brian was injured, shot in the arm from what Danny had said. It wouldn't be immediately life threatening, but he would have to seek medical help eventually, and there was a risk for all sorts of infections and complications. Part of Jamie wished that Brian would die from the injury, a painful, slow death like the one he'd inflicted on Cara Thomas, Levi Watts, and Andrew Kirk. Like the one he'd tried to inflict on Eddie. Another part of him wanted Brian to live and be caught, to pay for everything he had done.

As he stared at Eddie, already sound asleep with one hand stretched towards him and the other resting on her stomach, Jamie reminded himself that he would do anything he had to in order to protect her.

 _Anything._

* * *

Jamie's dreaded alarm went off at 6:30 a.m. and ripped both him and Eddie out of what was a peaceful sleep on his part. Eddie looked like she just might cry over being woken up, and Jamie felt like crying at the thought of going to work and facing an entire tour without Eddie, afraid the reality would hit him like a sledgehammer.

Jamie stumbled out of the bed, grumbling the whole way. Eddie followed suit, mumbling something about the "stupid goddamn alarm" and that it was "loud as hell." Jamie couldn't help but chuckle a little at her irritation as he got everything ready for tour. Luckily, Eddie was in a much better mood when Jamie came out of the bathroom and was drinking coffee in the kitchen with her hair pulled back into her usual ponytail, still in her pajama shorts. "You ready for your first tour with... what's your new partner's name?" Eddie asked as she sipped her coffee.

"Uh, Matt Marino," Jamie said distractedly, walking around Eddie to pour his own cup of coffee. "He just transferred. I don't know much about him. What I _do_ know is that he's not you." The last part slipped out of Jamie's mouth before he'd even realized what he said, before he'd even thought about it, and he realized quickly that he didn't regret it for a second.

"So what are you saying? That you'll miss me?" Eddie said slyly, sipping her coffee and staring at Jamie over the rim of her mug.

Jamie rolled his eyes and smiled despite his efforts not to. "Nope. Not at all," he joked, bumping her shoulder as he poured himself a bowl of cereal. Eddie fake pouted, but a smile was tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Of course I'll miss you, Janko. You know better than that."

Eddie took the cereal box and milk from him and poured her own bowl of cereal, the two of them still standing shoulder-to-shoulder. Suddenly, she looked sad. "Well, you may as well get used to it. I doubt I'll be back on the job anytime soon."

Jamie let his spoon drop into his bowl and turned to face Eddie, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Yes, you will, Eddie. You go to the doctor in two days, and right now, the main things you need to worry about are the TBI and the resulting hematoma. That's it. Your TBI is completely asymptomatic, Eddie." Eddie nodded, but her eyes were filled with tears. "Those are the main hurdles we need to get over right now: TBI and hematoma. Okay? After that it will be smooth sailing."

Suddenly, a smile crossed Eddie's face, and before Jamie could ask why, Eddie said, "You said 'we.'"

Jamie leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently, his lips lingering on her skin an extra couple seconds. "Yeah, because you're not alone in this. I would think you would know that by now," he said as he pulled away, smiling at her.

Jamie and Eddie ate their breakfast in a comfortable silence, downing two cups of coffee each. By the time their dishes were put away, Jamie could tell Eddie was in a much better mood than she had been earlier, and he decided that maybe the day would turn out better than expected. Or maybe it would be a complete nightmare. He had to prepare for both.

After Eddie took her medicine and put everything from breakfast away, Jamie looked at the clock and realized he still had fifteen minutes to spare. "Do you want me to change your dressings before I go? It looks like your arm might be bleeding a little," he said, noticing the slight red stain on the arm of her t-shirt, just over where the bullet graze wound was. Eddie nodded and padded to the bathroom while Jamie grabbed the bandage bag. When he got to the bathroom, Eddie was sitting up on the counter like usual, her t-shirt hiked up and her old bandages removed already. Jamie was shocked when he looked at her back. "Wow, Eddie," was all he could say.

Eddie whipped her head around in alarm. "What? What's wrong?"

Jamie shook his head quickly as Eddie tried to see her back, obviously thinking something was horribly wrong by Jamie's words. "Nothing. Calm down. Your back is almost completely healed." The smaller lashes _were_ completely healed, and the bigger ones were on their way. Jamie put ointment and bandages on the bigger ones and left the small ones alone. The bullet graze, however, was a different matter. It was angry-looking and ringed in red, and it looked infected. When Jamie put ointment on it, Eddie jumped a mile, and Jamie rubbed a hand between her shoulder blades. "Eddie? You okay?"

Eddie nodded, but Jamie could tell she was definitely not okay. Her teeth were clenched, she was biting her lip, and her entire body was tense. "I'm okay, Jamie. Go ahead so you can get to work," she urged when he hesitated. Jamie did what she said - he always did - but not without caution. He made a mental note to ask the doctor about it on Friday.

Jamie packed up the bandage bag as Eddie slid off the bathroom counter, wincing a little as she rotated her shoulder. She walked him to the door, and he reminded her of the alarm system, the panic button, and all the sensors TARU had installed in case she needed help and Jamie wasn't there. He also reminder her of the armed men downstairs. Eddie nodded mechanically, and when Jamie studied her face, he saw panic. _She's scared._ "Eddie, everything will be okay," he told her, putting his hands on her shoulders gently. "You know all of this is just a precaution. Brian is injured thanks to Dr. Ackerman, and they're still questioning Dal. Nobody will be bothering you here."

Eddie sunk her teeth into her lower lip so hard it nearly drew blood, but she gave Jamie a forced smile anyway. "I know. I'll be fine."

"And please, Eddie, for the love of God, do not hesitate to call me or Danny or Linda if something is wrong or you get scared," Jamie reminded her sternly, his thumb rubbing her arm. "We can be here in five minutes." In lieu of responding, Eddie flung herself at Jamie, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing as tightly as she could. Jamie squeezed her back, burying his face in her hair and rubbing her back. He knew she was worried for him, too, and not just herself. "I'll be okay, too, Eddie. Don't worry about me. I'll call and check in on meal break."

Eddie nodded and released him, and her eyes were shimmering with tears. "Okay. I'll talk to you then," she said, her voice quivering as she rubbed the tears out of her eyes. Jamie gave her a reassuring smile, a nod, and a gentle kiss on the forehead before arming the alarm system and walking out. He heard the door locks behind him and took some comfort in that.

What he'd wanted to say caught in his throat as he walked down the hallway.

 _I love you_.

* * *

 **Eddie**

The first two hours without Jamie in the apartment were spent making sure everything was secure. Eddie checked the window sensors, the panic button, un-armed and re-armed the alarm system twice to make sure it was working, and checked the door locks three times. It gutted her to know that Brian had caused her to have a bizarre type of OCD, and it gutted her even more to know that Jamie was going to be at work all day worrying about her safety while she was worrying about his.

She felt gutted constantly lately.

Trying to keep her mind off of everything, Eddie took an anti-anxiety pill and laid down on the sofa to watch TV. She flipped through channels, going from Friends to Gilmore Girls to One Tree Hill. They were three of her favorite shows, but even Monica and Ross, Lorelai and Rory, and Brooke and Peyton couldn't occupy her mind enough. She jumped at every single noise, from another door in the apartment complex slamming to footsteps in the unit above her. She very seriously considered taking a sleeping pill and trying to nap, but she was too scared to be that vulnerable if anybody were to get into the apartment.

Eddie channel surfed, bit her lips and nails, and checked her cell phone constantly until Jamie called just after 1 p.m. "Hello?" Eddie answered, sounding far more panicky and out of breath than she liked.

Jamie sensed her panic immediately. "Eddie, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Eddie swiped a hand across her forehead, finding a layer of sweat there. "I'm okay. I'm just..." She trailed off, not sure how to explain how she felt to Jamie without making him feel like he needed to rush over to her. "I'm fine. Everything's okay."

Jamie definitely wasn't buying it. "Eddie, _what's wrong_? Are you in pain?" he demanded, concern etched in every word.

"I'm fine, Jamie," she insisted, trying to sound lighthearted and failing miserably. "I've been a little panicky, but I know that's normal. I took a pill, and it's helping a little."

Jamie sighed deeply on the other end of the line. Eddie could hear radio chatter in the background. "How do you feel physically?"

 _My heart is racing. My chest hurts. I'm sweating like a pig. My wrist is killing me_. "I feel okay." Eddie had very blatantly lied, but once again, she didn't want to guilt Jamie into coming back to take care of her. "How's the tour going?"

"It's weird without you... Everything is. But Marino is cool as hell. He's getting us a bite now." Truthfully, Jamie sounded distracted and unenthusiastic. "He's not you, but he's pretty cool."

 _He's not you._ Jamie's words made Eddie's stomach flip, and she wondered to herself when she became that girl that got butterflies at something a guy said. "I'm glad, Jamie. I gotta say, it's pretty weird without you here, too," she said, smiling like an idiot to herself. "When's your tour over?"

"At six. I was thinking we could order in tonight or I can bring something back. The snow is supposed to start coming down again around ten tonight."

Eddie sighed deeply, getting to her feet and walking over to the window, or what was left of the window. Snow was still in the streets, but no more had fallen. She wasn't looking forward to being trapped in the apartment over the next few days while Jamie was working. In fact, the thought nearly crippled her with terror, terror of being stalked by an injured and angry Brian. "Sounds good," she told Jamie distractedly.

"Alright, Marino is back with the food, so I gotta go," Jamie said urgently, and Eddie heard a car door slam and another voice. "I'll call you soon, but don't hesitate to call me in between or press the panic button if something happens. Try to rest if you can."

Eddie smiled at his concern as she waddled back to the couch, cradling her wrist close to her. "I will. Please be safe." They said their goodbyes and hung up, and Eddie immediately found herself counting the hours until Jamie came back, until she could finally feel safe again.

* * *

 **Jamie**

So far, Jamie's first day back had been uneventful. Him and Marino had responded to two domestics and a couple of other random calls, giving them a lot of downtime to get to know each other. Matt Marino was a six foot one Italian from Queens with a big, booming laugh and a dry sense of humor. He wasn't Eddie, of course, but Jamie had to admit he liked him a lot.

Plus, nobody on Earth could match up to Eddie. That was just a fact.

Jamie and Marino talked about their former partners; Jamie mostly talked about Eddie, and Marino was onto him. "You got a thing for her or something?" Marino joked as they sat in front of a pizza place on 55th.

Jamie blushed, answering Marino's question before he'd even said anything. "She's special, man. That's all," Jamie said, even though that didn't even begin to sum up what Eddie was to him. "The partner I had before her was shot and killed, so I constantly think about the same thing happening to Janko. I'm paranoid about it."

Marino's expression turned serious. "Where is Janko now? Why isn't she touring with you?"

Jamie sighed, assessing whether or not he should say anything about what had happened. Finally, he decided to give Marino something, but not everything. "Eddie was raped and beaten by a former boyfriend a few weeks ago. She's down for the count right now. She goes to the doctor on Friday, and hopefully, all her injuries are healed enough for her to come back. But I doubt it." Jamie decided to leave out the head injury and hematoma, and the fact that Eddie was having nightmares and flashbacks frequently.

He also decided to leave out that he was considering asking to ride with Marino permanently or requesting a transfer so that he and Eddie could pursue what had been between them for a long time. He was planning to talk to her about that later.

Jamie and Marino talked a little more about Eddie and then Marino listed his previous partners, none of them women. "I had one partner who drank coffee constantly and talked at 100 miles an hour. Drove me nuts," Marino said with a deep laugh. "He ate a lot, too, more than I've ever seen any human being eat."

"Sounds like Eddie. She eats constantly and she talks 100 miles an hour _without_ coffee," Jamie said with a laugh. "She's the best. You would like her."

"Maybe I'll get to meet her sometime. She sounds cool, and you seem to be really fond of her," Marino said, raising his eyebrows with a smirk on his face. "Maybe a little too fond."

"Shut up," Jamie said jokingly, smacking Marino on the arm. "I _am_ fond of her. We've been partners for three years, and she was exactly what I needed after what happened to Vinny." Jamie shivered at the memory of holding Vinny as he died from a shot to the neck and quickly tried to push the memory out of his mind.

But the thought of the same thing happening to Eddie was one he couldn't push away.

The rest of Jamie's shift was uneventful in a good way, and Jamie couldn't help but think that the day hadn't been as bad as he thought. In fact, he was smiling when he walked out to his car, happy at the thought of going back to Eddie's apartment, getting some dinner, and hopefully staying safe and sound for the night. Of course, the thought of Brian being free still and walking the streets still haunted Jamie, but it wasn't at the forefront of his mind like it had been constantly lately. _Maybe things are changing_.

Jamie called Eddie at 6:30 while he waited for the Mustang to heat up, and she sounded out of breath when she answered. "H-hello?"

"Eddie? Are you alright? You sound out of breath," Jamie said as he sped out of his parking space, panicked that something was wrong.

"I'm fine. I stress-cleaned the apartment," she said with some semblance of a chuckle.

Jamie let out a sigh, one of both relief that nothing was wrong and worry that she'd overexerted herself. "Eddie, you're supposed to be taking it easy. I can hear that you're out of breath, so please _sit down_. I'm on my way back now." He couldn't help but laugh a bit at her, and he hoped she couldn't hear it.

"Okay, okay, you worry wart. I'm sitting down," Eddie said, and Jamie could hear a smile in her voice. "I'll see you soon."

Jamie hung up and a smile was on his face the entire way to the apartment complex.

* * *

 **Eddie**

Eddie was sure her apartment had never been so clean. She'd started to feel worse just sitting around, and cleaning took her mind off of everything as much as was possible. So when Jamie called and scolded her for not taking it easy, saying he was coming back, Eddie made sure to swipe the sweat off her forehead, sit down in front of the TV, and make it look like she'd been relaxing when Jamie walked in. It didn't work; Jamie certainly wasn't fooled.

The minute Jamie walked in the door, even before he re-armed the alarm and turned the locks behind him, he saw the flush of exertion in her cheeks and said, "Eddie, what part of 'take it easy' did you not understand?" His tone wasn't anywhere near scolding but was full of concern.

Eddie met him with a grin. "Well, hello to you, too, Reagan," she said sarcastically. Jamie smiled back at her, his face softening a little. "I couldn't just sit around here all day. I got anxious and scared and cleaning helps distract me since I didn't have you here to distract me. So... I cleaned. Big whoop."

Jamie shook his head at her, smiling a bit in amusement. "Okay, but your face is flushed. How long did you clean for?"

 _Oh, shit_. "From the time you called at one to when you called just now." Jamie's head snapped up, and Eddie quickly went to further defend herself. "I'm _sorry_ , okay? I got scared and cleaning distracted me, like I said."

Jamie's face softened again, and he walked over to the couch, plopping down next to her. "Eddie, you have nothing to be scared of. He can't get to you in here."

"Okay, but what if he becomes desperate and wants to come finish me off once and for all before he bleeds to death?" Eddie mused, her voice rising in panic at the thought.

Jamie put his hand on Eddie's knee and squeezed gently. "Well, he'll have to get through me first, I can tell you that."

Eddie nodded, but one thought was in the back of Eddie's mind:

 _You can't always be here to protect me._

* * *

The rest of the night went smoothly. They ordered a pizza since neither Jamie nor Eddie felt like cooking anything, and they talked about their day, mainly about Jamie's new partner. As much as she missed the job, Eddie was thrilled that Jamie had a new partner he liked. "He thinks I have a thing for you. He's onto me," Jamie said with a laugh, stuffing the last of his pizza in his mouth. Before Eddie could say anything, Jamie said something that made Eddie's heart go wild. "That reminds me, I have a proposition for you."

 _Oh, no_. "Okay..." Eddie said warily, her mind racing at what this "proposition" could possibly be as she chewed on her pizza.

Jamie closed the pizza box and moved it to the side. "I think I want to request a new partner permanently, or a transfer."

Eddie nearly choked on her food. "What?! What do you mean? Why would you not want us to ride together anymore?"

"Calm down, Eddie. Jesus," Jamie said with a laugh. "Over these last few weeks, I've really realized how deep my feelings are for you, and I don't think we should be _work_ partners anymore. Emphasis on 'work.'"

The realization hit Eddie like a freight train. "Oh. _Oh_ ," she said, feeling stupid for her outburst and for not realizing what Jamie was implying. "Wait. So are you saying what I think you're saying?" She grinned so hard it hurt her face, and she didn't even care.

Jamie nodded, his smile matching hers. "That's exactly what I'm saying. I want us to have different partners because I want to have a go at this. It's been building between us for a long time, Eddie, and I think we need to act on it. What do you think? If you don't want to, I understand-"

Eddie cut him off by leaning forward and kissing the hell out of him, taking his breath away. "There's your answer."

* * *

 **Brian**

Brian couldn't go back to the apartment. A neighbor, a guy named Damian who smoked far too much meth, had called on Brian's new burner phone to say the police had searched Brian's apartment - he assumed they had a warrant - and were staking the place out. But Brian was badly injured, and he was desperate.

Suddenly, as he huddled against a building on a side road in Queens, he knew what he had to do.

He had to find a way to get to Eddie and to end things once and for all. And that meant he had to find a way to take Jamie out first.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

 **Jamie**

They almost went all the way again. They were _so close_. When Eddie's lips landed on his, followed by the words, "There's your answer," Jamie immediately grinned from ear to ear like an idiot and kissed her again. Eddie's hands wrapped around his neck and tangled in his hair, and he pulled her close to him, running his hands up and down her sides.

Soon, Eddie's lips were trailing down Jamie's jawline to his neck and then to the sensitive spot just under his ear. Jamie could feel his body responding, and he knew he needed to stop it – or delay it – right then. He pulled back a little, pulling away from Eddie and putting his forehead against hers. "Jamie, what's wrong?"

Jamie was pretty sure by her expression that she knew what he was about to say, but he said it anyway. "Nothing is wrong. It's just... If you'd kept that up, we wouldn't have been able to stop," he said, referring to her lips having been on his neck.

To Jamie's surprise, Eddie reacted with a smirk. "Maybe I didn't want us to stop." Jamie was about to mention the doctor and her not being cleared, but Eddie beat him to it. "Jamie, I _know_ I haven't been cleared for... well, anything. And I know we agreed to take it slow, but I'm not sure how slow I can take _this_." She gestured to the fact that she was almost in his lap. "Like I said a few days ago, I've wanted this to happen forever."

Jamie ran his hands up and down Eddie's sides distractedly. "I know, Eddie. So have I," he reassured her. _That's an understatement_. "I just want to make sure your body – and your mind – are healthy enough. That's all."

Eddie smiled a little, running her fingers over the exposed skin on Jamie's arms, leaving it tingling. "I know, and I appreciate that more than you know. Speaking of which, I think we need to talk about the whole transfer thing." Eddie rolled off Jamie and to the side of him, tucking herself in beside him. His arm went around her tightly, something that had become second nature. "I think I want to transfer to the 15th. It's not far from the apartment, and it's not far from the 12th, either. I've been thinking about it since you suggested one of us transferring."

Jamie nodded slowly, absentmindedly playing with Eddie's hair as he mulled her words over in his mind. Although he liked Marino a lot, it was difficult for Jamie to imagine never being in the RMP with Eddie again. But then it hit him that her transferring would enable them to do far more than spend hours a day in a car together, and he couldn't help but smile. "I think that's the perfect decision, Eddie. I really do."

Eddie looked surprised, as if she were expecting him to say it was an awful idea and that she shouldn't do it. She was beaming, and Jamie beamed back at her. "So we're really doing this? We're finally going to give this a go?" she asked, sounding as flabbergasted as Jamie felt.

He nodded and chuckled, leaning down to kiss the top of Eddie's head. "We are. I want this, and if you do, too, then I think we should go for it. Like you said, it's about damn time."

"Are you sure?" Eddie asked, her eyes suddenly shimmering with tears. "Like completely, one hundred percent sure? I am, but I need to know that you are, too."

"Truthfully, Eddie? I've never been more sure of anything in my life." Jamie pulled Eddie up a little and kissed her lips softly, tangling his hands in her hair. His lips found their way to her cheek and then to the little cleft in her chin, pecking at her skin gently. She tucked herself against him again, both of them grinning like fools.

As Jamie stroked Eddie's hair, one word was running through his mind:

 _Finally_.

* * *

 **Eddie**

The rest of the night was shockingly quiet, with no calls at all to neither Eddie nor Jamie until around nine p.m. Finally, Jamie's phone rang, and Eddie could see Danny's name on the caller ID. Eddie shot up out of Jamie's arms in panic as Jamie's finger hovered over the "accept" button. "Eddie, it's okay," Jamie said, his other hand rubbing the back of her neck. His voice was soothing, but his finger shaking as he answered the call was not. "Danny? Is everything okay?"

Jamie pressed the button to put the phone on speaker so Eddie could hear. _"Jamie, we let Dal Cooper go. We released him on his own recognizance. He gave us valuable information, and we had no business holding him here. I just wanted to let you guys know."_

Eddie felt bile rise in her throat. Jamie's words reverberated in her brain. _We let Dal Cooper go_. Jamie looked nauseous as well, and a bit outraged. "H-How... Why? He was working with _Brian_ , Danny! Brian! The guy who raped and nearly killed Eddie, the guy who killed Cara Thomas, the guy who tried to kill Dr. Ackerman..."

Eddie didn't hear anything past that. She bolted from the couch and into the kitchen, vomiting into the trash can again. She heard Jamie speak a few more words to Danny, but she couldn't make out what they were over the sound of her retching. Before she knew it, Jamie was beside her, holding back her hair and rubbing her back like he always did. "Eddie, it's okay. You're okay," he soothed, rubbing circles between her shoulder blades.

Eddie shook her head, swiping a hand across her mouth when she had emptied her stomach completely. "It's _not_ okay," she said, shaking her head furiously with tears streaming down her face. "What else did Danny say? How could they release Dal? He can't... He can't be out. I don't understand any of this." Suddenly, words were tumbling out of Eddie's mouth at a hundred miles an hour, and she could feel full-blown panic creeping up on her.

Jamie quickly picked up on the oncoming panic attack and steered Eddie back to the sofa, crouching down in front of her once she was seated. He put his hands on either side of her face, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Okay, first of all, I need you to calm down, Eddie. I'm not telling you anything else until you calm down. Everything is okay. You're safe, and that's all that matters. Alright?"

Eddie shook her head furiously again, tears continuing to fall from her eyes. "No! That's _not_ all that matters, Jamie. Now other people are involved. Cara Thomas lost her life, and so did Drew and Watts, even though the two of them deserved it. And now, Dr. Ackerman nearly died just because she met me and I told her things. And you've been yanked into this since the beginning. So no, I'm not all that matters."

The look on Jamie's face told Eddie that he had no argument for that. "I know, Eddie, but you're all that matters to _me_ right now. Right now, I'm focused on making sure you're safe. So are you going to calm down so I can tell you what Danny said?" When Eddie just stubbornly nodded, Jamie continued, taking a seat beside her. "Danny said that since Dal gave up valuable information, AKA the actual place Brian has been staying this whole time, and because Dal hasn't technically done anything illegal, they have to release him. They have your statement that he was the one stalking you at times, but –"

"They can't prove it. I get it," Eddie said, cutting him off. She buried her face in her hands, shaking her head and trying not to throw up again. "God, this is so messed up."

Jamie wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side, kissing her temple. "I know it is, but we'll get through it. We always do. Think of everything we've survived in the last few weeks."

This time, it was Eddie who didn't have an argument.

* * *

After Eddie's mini-meltdown over the Dal situation, her and Jamie tried to relax the best they could. Jamie made Eddie a cup of hot tea and they put Friends on the TV, but that wasn't enough to calm Eddie's nerves entirely. She jumped at every single noise, even more than usual, and Jamie calmed her every time she flinched. He reminded her that even _if_ Dal was dangerous, he couldn't get into the apartment, and that if he did, they had Jamie's gun to protect themselves if needed.

Of course, Eddie nor Jamie wanted it to come to that, but Eddie knew that Jamie wouldn't hesitate to incapacitate Dal or even take his life if he tried to hurt them.

When Friends was no longer distracting Eddie from everything, Jamie flipped the TV to a movie channel and Eddie became engrossed in _She's All That_ , a movie she'd seen more than twenty times but still loved. She could tell Jamie was essentially bored out of his skull at first, but eventually he got into it, too, even laughing at some points. Eddie found her mood lifting a bit, and Dal eventually drifted to the back of her mind.

About three quarters of the way through the movie, Eddie had a thought, one that lifted her mood even further. "Jamie?"

Jamie looked over at her, muting the TV briefly and giving her his full attention. "Yeah?"

"I think I want to go see Dr. Ackerman at the hospital."

Jamie didn't look shocked or give her thirty smart reasons why she shouldn't do it. Instead, he pursed his lips and nodded, his hand drifting to Eddie's thigh. "I think that's a good idea. I have a late tour tomorrow, so I can go with you. Danny said she's there for a couple more days to monitor her head injury. I can call in the morning to ask if she can have visitors."

Eddie nodded, putting her hand on top of Jamie's. "Jamie, I know you and Baez and Danny have told me that this isn't my fault, but it _is._ Brian only went after Dr. Ackerman because he knew I had told her things about what he did to me, and he decided she needed to die for it. It's my fault she's in the hospital, probably getting a rape kit done – which is horribly traumatizing on its own – and getting her head sewn back together. She'll never be the same after this, and that's my fault." Eddie felt tears springing to her eyes, and she didn't bother to stop them as they fell unchecked down her cheeks.

Jamie, however, reached up to swipe them away again, something he had done far too often recently. His hands framed her face after, thumbs stroking her cheekbones tenderly. "Eddie, I will tell you this as often as you need me to until you believe it: this is _NOT_ your fault. None of it is. You're a _victim_ of Brian, just as much as Cara and Dr. Ackerman. You don't deserve what you're going through anymore than they did, so you do not get to blame yourself for any of this. Okay? I'll tell you this a thousand more times if that's what it takes for you to believe it."

Eddie smiled at him and nodded, his words seeping into her brain and warming her all over. It was like the words that had been said to her over and over, by numerous people, were finally getting through to her. Of course, Eddie knew it would take a long, long time for her to convince herself she wasn't to blame – if she ever could be totally convinced – but she also knew that she would have plenty of people there to remind her if she forgot. That brought some measure of comfort in itself.

"You probably _will_ have to tell me a thousand more times, Reagan," Eddie said, reaching up to grab Jamie's hands, which were still framing her face, "but if anybody can convince me, it's you."

Jamie smiled softly and leaned forward to kiss Eddie's forehead, then her temple, then her cheek, his lips on her skin leaving chill bumps. "Do you think I could convince you to relax enough to go to sleep?" Jamie whispered against her cheek, his hand moving from her face to her neck. "It's nearly 10 p.m., and it's been a long day and night."

Truthfully, going to sleep was the last thing Eddie wanted to do. She wanted to do something she _couldn't_ do, something _they_ couldn't do, and that only made her want it more. Of course, she didn't say so, instead nodding and leaning into Jamie. She definitely wanted his lips on her skin a little while longer, but she also couldn't argue that she was exhausted. "Only if you go with me," she murmured, her cheeks heating up a little as she realized the implication of what she'd said. "I mean... Not like that. I just want you to sleep next to me like you have been."

Jamie smiled a smile that took her breath away and stood from the couch, reaching out his hands and pulling her up. She stood on wobbly feet, grabbing onto Jamie's arm for support. "I knew what you meant," Jamie said with a smirk that made Eddie's whole body hot. Before she could say anything, Jamie went into the kitchen and grabbed Eddie one of her Ambien, which she downed with a glass of water.

After Eddie brushed her teeth and changed, she crawled under the covers, snuggling deep into them. The bedroom felt freezing cold, but Eddie was too tired to mess with the thermostat. Jamie quickly crawled in under the covers as well, and Eddie could hear him setting his phone alarm. "Do you want me to rub your back until you fall asleep?" he asked out of nowhere, probably noticing that Eddie's whole body was rigid from a combination of the frigid temperature, Jamie's closeness, and fear.

Eddie nodded, turning over onto her left side so that she was facing the window with her back to Jamie. "Please," she said, so softly she wondered if he even heard her. But he obviously did, because his hand was immediately on her back, rubbing slow circles between her shoulder blades and snaking up and down her spine.

"Go to sleep. I'll be right here," Jamie whispered, his hand stroking her hair briefly before returning to rubbing her back.

Eddie was out within minutes, Jamie's comforting touch and words enough to lull her into a dreamless, undisturbed sleep.

* * *

 **Jamie**

Jamie's 7 a.m. alarm came far too early. He'd been sound asleep, and when he looked over at Eddie, he saw that she was sleeping like a rock, her face serene and not wrinkled with anxiety for once.

Before waking her, Jamie decided to call the hospital to check on Dr. Ackerman's visitor status. Somebody at the nurse's desk on the first floor answered and transferred Jamie to the phone on the correct floor, where he was told that Dr. Ackerman was permitted visitors. He then asked to be transferred to her room, his heart pounding for reasons he couldn't quite figure out. Dr. Ackerman answered after three rings. "H-Hello?"

Jamie was struck by how normal she sounded. A little weak and slurred, probably from the pain medication, but she otherwise sounded completely normal. "Hi, Dr. Ackerman. This is Jamie Reagan, I'm Officer Eddie Janko's partner. She's one of your patients. Look, I know you can't discuss any details of her sessions with me, and that's not what I'm asking. Eddie was a victim of the same guy that did this to you, as you know, and she wants to come visit. Would that be alright?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a while. Jamie heard the beeping of machines in the background until Dr. Ackerman finally spoke. "That would be fine, Officer Reagan. And please, call me Iris. I'll be here for a couple more days if you and Eddie would like to come visit today. Visiting hours end at four."

"Alright. That sounds good. I'm sorry to call so early... I hope I didn't wake you," Jamie said, realizing the clock on the cable box said it was 7:08 a.m.

Jamie heard a humorless chuckle on the other end of the line. "I don't sleep anymore, Officer Reagan. I know Eddie can sympathize. I haven't slept since it happened if I'm being entirely honest."

Iris's words hit Jamie like a ton of bricks as he remembered how hard Eddie had fought sleep for so long. "Eddie can definitely sympathize. For the first three weeks, she couldn't sleep unless she knew I was right beside her, and even then, she had horrible nightmares. Obviously, she has to take medication now to sleep, but she's getting better."

"I think it may be good for Eddie and I both if you all come visit today. I would love it if you would. I'm in room 310." Iris sounded different now, sadder somehow and something else Jamie couldn't quite put his finger on. Knowing he needed to get Eddie up soon, he told Iris they would be there within the next couple hours and they hung up. Jamie took a moment to gather his thoughts before he went to wake Eddie.

Jamie padded back into the bedroom and over to Eddie's side of the bed, crouching down on the floor beside the bed. He had learned how to wake her without scaring the hell out of her, and that was exactly what he did. Jamie put his hand on Eddie's face, trailing his finger along her jawline. "Eddie... Eddie, wake up," he said quietly. When she didn't stir, Jamie leaned forward and trailed his lips from her temple to her cheekbone, his fingers simultaneously running up and down her arm.

Finally, Eddie's eyelids fluttered and her eyes slowly opened. "You really know how to wake a girl up, Reagan," Eddie said, her voice low and raspy and delicious and filled with sleep. "What time is it?"

"It's a little after 7:10," Jamie told her, stroking her hair back from her face as he stood and sat on the edge of the bed. "I called the hospital, and Dr. Ackerman is taking visitors. I talked to her and she said she thinks it would be very therapeutic for us to come see her and for you two to talk."

Eddie nodded slowly, rubbing a hand over her face and sitting up against the headboard. "Okay. You'll be there with me?" she asked, the grogginess slowly drifting away and being replaced by her usual attentiveness.

Already, at just after 7 a.m., there was a fear in Eddie's eyes that seemed to be constant anymore, and that cut right through Jamie. He tried to keep his expression neutral for her sake. "Of course I'll be there, Eddie," he said, tucking a piece of blonde hair behind her ear. "Do you want to shower and then grab breakfast before we go?"

Eddie nodded and smiled at him, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "That sounds good. Make whatever you want."

 _When did Eddie ever not have input on what to eat?_ Jamie thought, opting not to say anything. Instead, he just smiled at her and squeezed her knee, telling her to yell if she needed help before padding into the kitchen. After he heard the bathroom door close and the shower turn on, Jamie pulled out his phone and dialed Danny's number, propping the phone between his shoulder and his ear while he pulled out the eggs to make scrambled eggs.

Danny answered on the first ring. "Hey, kid. Is everything okay?" Danny sounded winded again, as if he had been running, and his voice was tight and tense.

"Um, yeah. Everything is fine, I guess," Jamie said, his forehead creasing with concern. "Why? Is everything okay with you?"

"Everything is okay. There hasn't been anything from Brian, though, Jamie. Absolutely nothing. Have you heard anything?"

"No, nothing," Jamie said as he cracked the eggs into a bowl. "I would like to think he bled to death somewhere before he could get to us, but... I don't think that's the case. It's too easy."

Danny sighed on the other end of the line, and it was a shaky exhale. "They say no news is good news, but I don't think that's the case here. Is Eddie alright?"

Something seemed off with Eddie that morning, but Jamie didn't say anything to Danny about it. Not yet. "Eddie's fine. We're actually going to see Dr. Ackerman at the hospital today. I spoke with her and she said she thinks it would be therapeutic for her and Eddie to talk, especially now that the two of them have been through the same thing."

Jamie expected Danny to object, to tell him that wasn't a good idea, but he didn't. Instead, he said, "I agree. I think that would help both of them. Obviously, Cara Thomas was a victim of him as well, but she didn't live to tell about it, so now Eddie will have somebody else to talk to who went through it and survived."

"Sometimes I think Eddie wishes she hadn't survived." The words were out of Jamie's mouth before he could stop them. They were true, but still, he regretted them immediately.

* * *

 **Eddie**

When Eddie got out of the shower, Jamie was different than he'd been before she went in. He was sitting at the table, staring off into space, drinking coffee. She approached him slowly, said his name, and put her hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of the bizarre haze he was in. "There's scrambled eggs and bacon," he said, his voice still sounding a bit far away.

As Eddie scooped eggs onto a plate, she eyed Jamie closely. "Are you okay?" she asked, trying to gauge his mood and having a difficult time reading his expression, even more so than usual.

Jamie took a sip of coffee and nodded his head. "I'm fine. I talked to Danny. They haven't heard anything from Brian either. So both him and Dal are still on the streets." Jamie shook his head and took another sip of his coffee, draining what was left. "On the bright side, he thinks us going to see Dr. Ackerman is a great idea."

Most people would have been thrilled that the person who had been tormenting them for weeks hadn't been heard from, but Eddie wasn't. "I know I should feel good that he hasn't done anything and that we haven't heard from him, but I really don't. I know him, and I know that he's probably plotting something," Eddie said, her voice rising an octave as she put two pieces of bacon on her plate. "He probably has people who will take me out for him if he bleeds to death." The more she talked, the louder and more panicked Eddie's voice got.

Jamie walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders, carefully avoiding her bullet graze. "Eddie, _calm down_. We're prepared. Hopefully, after your appointment tomorrow, you'll be cleared to at least use your gun again. Your wrist should be healed. If Dal or Brian decide to make a move, either way, we'll be prepared."

Eddie nodded, swallowing hard. Her gun was in a safe in her closet, hidden behind various things that she was pretty sure nobody would even think about moving. Frankly, if it came down to her having to shoot with a cracked wrist to save her and Jamie's lives, she would. There was no question about that.

Eddie's nerves were jangled, but she managed to scarf down a heap of scrambled eggs, three pieces of bacon, and two cups of coffee (which definitely didn't help her nerves). She wanted a third cup, but Jamie cut her off, saying they needed to get going and that she was already jittery. She took her medication, and they were out in the frigid cold within minutes, a scarf tied around Eddie's face until they got to Jamie's Mustang.

The ride to the hospital was silent. They pulled into a parking spot and Jamie caught Eddie with her knee bouncing up and down. She was wringing her hands, too, and that didn't go unnoticed, either. Jamie put his hand on Eddie's shaking knee, effectively stilling it. "Take a breath, Eddie. Dr. Ackerman needs you to be strong and calm, okay? And I'll be with you the entire time if you both need support, but I'll give you space if you need it."

Eddie smiled at his words and put her hand on top of his, squeezing his fingers. She took a deep breath and said, "Here goes nothing."

Jamie and Eddie climbed out of the Mustang and, thankfully, Jamie forgot about the scarf. He was obviously preoccupied as they walked into the hospital, and Eddie looped her arm through his as they walked into the warmth of the building. They were at the elevator bank when Jamie's phone rang, and he ushered Eddie into the elevator, told her to go to the third floor and wait for him there. His tone was filled with fear and made it very clear that he wasn't to be argued with.

Not wanting to go into Dr. Ackerman's room alone, Eddie sat down in a chair when she got to the third floor. Her hands were shaking as if she'd had fifteen cups of coffee, and her heart was pounding out of her chest. She was about to go back down to Jamie when he stepped out of the elevator, his face taut and tense and pinched up. She bolted from her chair and ran straight to him. "What's wrong? Who was that? Was it Brian?" Eddie's own voice was shaking with anxiety as she fired questions at him.

Jamie didn't tell her to calm down. He didn't even look at her. That scared her the most of all. He pinched the bridge of his nose and looked down at his feet. When he finally did speak, his voice was fear-filled in a way Eddie rarely heard. "That was Dal Cooper. He wants to meet."


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's note: Another long one! I'm so sorry it took so long to update, and I'm also sorry that this chapter is so long. I was going to keep going on this last scene, but if I had written all I'd wanted to, it would be 10,000 words long. Therefore, I'm posting this and will post the next chapter soon. P.S., I AM TAKING REQUESTS! I'm taking prompts and all that fun stuff, and I'll write just about anything. I'm currently taking prompts for Blue Bloods and Pretty Little Liars.**

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty**

 **Eddie**

 _That was Dal Cooper. He wants to meet_.

Jamie's words took a moment to register with Eddie, but when they did, she felt like the breath had been knocked clean out of her. Before she knew what was happening, Jamie was catching her as she doubled over, saved by his arms from falling to the ground once again.

"Eddie!" he yelled as he caught her and led her over to the chair she'd been sitting in before. "Eddie, are you okay?"

She wasn't. Truthfully, Eddie's vision was blurry and her feet and hands were tingling, but she knew those were merely symptoms of a panic attack. Still, she wasn't okay, and she knew she couldn't lie to Jamie about it. So she shook her head that no, she was in no way okay.

Jamie took the chair next to her and wrapped his arm around Eddie's shoulders. Her hands were white as a sheet and freezing cold from a combination of the cold and the panic attack, and that definitely didn't escape Jamie's attention. He removed his arm and grabbed both of her hands in his, rubbing warmth into them. She was freezing cold, and he knew it. "Eddie, do you want to go home? Because we can call Dr. Ackerman and tell her we'll come another day if you're not feeling up to it."

Eddie came out of her terrified state long enough to shake her head. "No. We're going in there. I'll be okay. I just need a Xanax and a minute to get myself together." She pulled her hands from Jamie's and fumbled around for her pill capsule in her purse. After dry-swallowing a Xanax, she rested her elbows on her knees and put her head in her hands, breathing as deeply as she could. Jamie rubbed between her shoulder blades and said nothing, which was exactly what she needed while she gathered her thoughts.

Jamie and Eddie sat there for twenty minutes, with Jamie rubbing her back the entire time. Finally, when she started to feel halfway normal again as the Xanax kicked in, she sat back in the chair and looked at Jamie. He looked terrified, terrified for her and because of the Dal situation and, of course, Brian. He was studying her face closely. "Are you okay? Are you ready to go in?"

Eddie nodded, even though she still wasn't okay. She _was_ ready, though, to see Dr. Ackerman and talk to somebody who had been through the same thing, someone who had survived it like she had. "I'm ready. Let's do this." Before she could lose her resolve, Eddie got to her feet, and Jamie followed suit. He leaned in and kissed her once on her forehead and again on her temple, something that she found to be comforting in this particular situation. When they were at the apartment, however, it could be received in an entirely different way.

Slowly, on wobbly feet, Jamie and Eddie walked to room 310, where Dr. Ackerman had apparently instructed Jamie to go. Jamie squeezed Eddie's hand quickly right outside the door, giving her a reassuring smile. Eddie raised a hand and knocked, and a hoarse "Come in" sounded from inside the room, so Eddie pushed the door open. What she saw when her and Jamie rounded the corner hit her like a ton of bricks.

Dr. Ackerman was laying in bed, a massive bandage wrapped around her head, blood matted in her hair, horrible purple bruising all over her body, a cast on her arm, and the most haunted expression Eddie had ever seen on one human being. Once again, she fought the urge to vomit. When she looked at Jamie, he had gone ashen again. His hand was on the small of her back, guiding her further into the room.

Dr. Ackerman schooled her features when she saw them, even giving them a smile. "I'm so glad you both came," she said in a hoarse voice, gesturing to the two chairs in the corner of her room. Jamie and Eddie sat quickly. Eddie was shivering, and it wasn't from the fact that the room was frigid (although that part didn't help). "Eddie, how are you feeling?"

Eddie swallowed hard. "I'm doing okay." _I'm not_. _I'm in a living hell_. Eddie didn't say that part, of course, and instead said, "The real question is how are _you_ feeling, Dr Ackerman?"

Dr. Ackerman gave a one-shouldered shrug and a small, unconvincing smile. "Call me Iris, both of you. And I'm doing alright. I look worse than I feel, I assure you. They just took me down for a CT scan this morning."

Eddie couldn't stop herself from saying what she said next. "And the rape kit?"

Iris looked down at her hands, which were fidgeting. "They did that when I was admitted. It was by far the worst thing I've been through, besides... the attack itself."

Eddie felt tears pricking the back of her eyes. She reached over and grabbed Jamie's hand, not caring if Iris noticed or not. They were beyond that point now, and Eddie knew from experience that Iris had other things to worry about, like how she would ever recover from what Brian had done to her.

Jamie squeezed Eddie's hand and held it between both of his. When Eddie said nothing and Jamie saw that she was fighting back tears, Jamie spoke for both of them, filling the silence that had suddenly descended. "Is there anybody normally guarding your door here?" Jamie asked, gesturing out into the hallway outside her room.

"Normally there is, yes. They're rotating now, so the new officer should be here in about ten minutes. Is somebody guarding your apartment complex, Eddie?"

Eddie tried her best to respond around the lump in her throat. "There's two armed officers outside each entrance. I don't live on the first floor, so he can't get in through the window. Didn't stop him from trying, though. He shot out half of a window and knocked Jamie and I both out. I got a bullet graze, and Jamie hit his head." Iris's eyes widened, but she said nothing, so Eddie asked the question she'd been wanting to for a while. "Did Danny tell you that Dal Cooper, Brian's associate, has been released on his own recognizance?"

Iris looked shocked. Truly, honestly shocked. Her face went completely white, and her eyes were the size of saucers. "How could they _do_ that?" she all but shrieked, fiddling nervously with her IV tubing like Eddie did when she was in the hospital.

"That's exactly what I said," Eddie said, shrugging one shoulder and squeezing Jamie's hand. "But he gave up the address where Brian has been staying, and he hasn't committed an actual crime, besides stalking me. But even that they can't prove." Eddie could vividly remember the numerous nights she would get home from dinner or yoga or work and Dal would be standing outside her apartment complex, watching as she went in. "I was stupid enough to not take pictures."

Iris opened her mouth to speak, but it was Jamie who spoke first. "Eddie, you weren't _stupid_. You had no clue what you were dealing with with Brian. You couldn't have known."

Finally, Eddie couldn't control herself anymore. "I _did_ know!" she all but screamed, ripping her hands from Jamie's and balling her fists. "He hurt me when I dated him. He put me in the hospital at least once a month. I _knew_ what a monster he was and I did nothing. Now people are dead... _Innocent_ people." Eddie's eyes filled with angry tears that she didn't bother to swipe away. She was sure she was clenching her fists so hard her palms had to be bleeding, but she didn't care.

She didn't care about much anymore, but Jamie was one thing she would always care about, and right now, he was looking at her with the most anguished expression she had ever seen in her life, an expression that told her that he didn't know what else to say. As she studied her partner's face, a realization hit Eddie like a ton of bricks: _I'm breaking him. He cares about me and I love him and I'm breaking him_.

At that thought, Eddie came completely undone. It had been obvious that her emotional and physical state had been taking a toll on Jamie, but the anguished look on his face that she saw in Iris's hospital room just drove the point home. The tears that had been falling from her eyes went from a trickle to a waterfall, as if a dam inside of her had just broken, right there in the dimly lit hospital room.

It took Jamie a minute, but eventually, he did what he always did: he picked up the pieces. Or at least he tried. He shot up from his chair and gathered Eddie into his arms, mumbling an apology and an, "We'll be right back," to Iris before ushering a sobbing Eddie out into the hallway, where people began to stare immediately. Her face, hands, and feet were going numb as she hyperventilated, and she felt like she may have a heart attack, the weight of everything – Jamie's anguish, seeing Iris, and the phone call from Dal, amongst other things – hitting her at once.

Jamie led Eddie into an empty room two down from Iris's room and sat her down on the bed, taking a seat beside her. He put his hands on either side of her face and looked her square in the eyes. She could barely see him; it looked as though he was behind foggy glass, and he was getting more blurry by the second.

Jamie was speaking, but he sounded as though he were underwater, but really, Eddie was the one who was underwater and drowning. She could vaguely hear him telling her that everything was okay and that she needed to breathe, but the words were garbled. Everything _wasn't_ okay. She _couldn't_ breathe. Her vision was starting to gray around the edges, and she was positive that Jamie talking and holding her face in his hands was the only thing keeping her conscious.

Eddie felt herself doubling over at the waist, and Jamie caught her just before she fell off the bed. He hauled her against his chest and scooted towards the head of the bed with her, holding her tightly and stroking her hair with his back against the wall.

Eddie wasn't entirely sure how much time passed before she could breathe, hear, and see again, but she did know that it was far too long. When her heart rate began to lower and her breathing regulated, her vision cleared mostly and she looked up to see Jamie, his eyes fixed on her, cradling her against him with one hand on the back of her head, stroking her hair, and the other trailing up and down her spine.

"Jamie?" she said, her voice coming out raspy and hoarse, as though she'd been screaming. For all she knew, she _had_ been screaming. The panic attacks always overtook her completely, and she found that frequently, during the really severe ones, she didn't remember things that were said or things she had done. Jamie was always there to remind her and tell her it was okay.

That was no different now. Now, as Eddie came out of her panic-induced daze and realized that she was in a hospital room, with Jamie holding her against him, he was there to ground her once again. "Yeah, it's me. You're okay. Do you know where you are?"

Eddie knew _exactly_ where she was. There was the strong smell of disinfectant and the walls were painted a pale blue that was probably meant to be calming and the bed her and Jamie were laying on had rails that could be pulled up. "We're at the hospital..." She trailed off, thinking for a minute and waiting for everything to come back to her. "We're at the hospital to see Iris. Right?"

Jamie's hand brushed Eddie's hair away from her face as she looked up at him. "That's right," he said with a nod, his voice soothing. "You had a panic attack in her hospital room." His voice was calming and reassuring, but when Eddie studied his face, it was wrought with worry and panic.

Suddenly, everything that had happened before the panic attack came back to her. She remembered the call from Dal. She remembered everything Iris had said. She remembered yelling at Jamie when he basically told her, once again, that all of this wasn't her fault, and she remembered that the next thing she knew, she couldn't breathe and she was sobbing and Jamie was rushing her out of Iris's room and everything was going to hell. Although, really, everything had been going to hell since the night Eddie had nearly died. Everything with Dal and Iris this morning had just moved them closer.

When Eddie said nothing, Jamie carefully sat up with her and scooted them to the edge of the bed, their legs dangling. Eddie found that she didn't want Jamie to let her go, and to her pleasant surprise, he didn't. He just left an arm wrapped around her shoulders and tucked her into his side, studying her face. "Do you want to talk about it? About what happened in Iris's room?" he asked softly, stroking his thumb across her cheekbone.

Eddie shrugged, fighting tears. "I'm not sure what there is to say. I freaked out, and I'm sorry. It was like everything that's happened and everything Iris told us just came crashing down on me at once, and I freaked. What set me off, though, was the look on your face after I yelled at you." _Here comes the tears again_ , Eddie thought as they started pouring from her eyes again. "You looked so lost. You looked..." She trailed off, trying to find the right word and swallow around the lump in her throat. "You looked _haunted_. I'm breaking you, Jamie."

Jamie immediately wrapped both of his arms around her again and pulled her into his chest, her face buried in his neck. "Eddie, you're not breaking _anybody_ , let alone me. And I only looked lost because I didn't know what else I could do or say to help you. I'm a fixer, and when I can't fix things for the people I love, I _do_ feel lost, and that's not your fault."

It took a minute for Eddie to register what Jamie had just said, but when she did, it hit her like a freight train. She pulled back a bit and looked up at Jamie in shock. For a few seconds, Jamie looked genuinely confused by her reaction, but his face changed completely when he realized the reason for her open-mouthed, wide-eyed stare. He'd just admitted that he loved her, something they had never said or even insinuated. But everything was different now, and they both knew it.

Before either of them could say anything, though, Jamie's cell phone rang, a shrill and brutal interruption. Even with both arms wrapped around her, Jamie wiggled his hand into his jacket pocket and retrieved his cell phone, rubbing Eddie's back subconsciously with his other arm as he studied the caller ID. Before he answered his phone, Jamie shot Eddie a look that silently said they would talk about what he'd just said later.

As they did so often, the words Eddie wanted to say got stuck in her throat:

 _I love you, too_.

* * *

 **Jamie**

To be honest, Jamie was slightly grateful for the intrusion of his cell phone, merely because of the fact that he'd just told Eddie he loved her – in a roundabout way – on an uncomfortable hospital bed after she'd nearly just passed out from a panic attack. What he'd said was one hundred percent true; Jamie had fallen more in love with Eddie every day. It just bothered him that he had said it in a cold, lonely hospital room.

For once, he was glad to be interrupted by a phone call.

The caller ID flashed **Danny** , and Jamie got nervous for an entirely different reason. After Dal had called, wanting to meet, Jamie had called Danny to tell him what was going on, but it had gone to voicemail. Jamie had left him a message and literally ran up to Iris's floor, terrified and anxious to tell Eddie about Dal's call.

Now, Danny was finally calling him back, and he sounded frantic. "Jamie, what the hell is going on? How did Dal get your number? Is Eddie with you?"

The questions were coming at Jamie quicker than he could answer them, but he did his best, trying not to sound so distressed that Eddie would pick up on it and be thrown into another panic attack. "Okay, first off, I don't know _how_ Dal got my number, and I don't want to think too hard on it. Probably from another one of Brian's... associates. Maybe somebody we don't know about. And yes, Eddie is with me. We're at the hospital visiting Dr. Ackerman."

Jamie heard Danny sigh on the other end of the line. "Did he say why he wanted to meet?"

"No. He just said he would like to speak with Eddie and I, and that he had some information that may help us."

Danny was silent for a bit, most likely writing things down or typing something into his computer. Jamie stole a sideways glance at Eddie, who was still leaning against him. A light sheen of sweat covered her forehead and her eyes looked sunken. Jamie was still staring at her when Danny spoke again. "How does Eddie feel about it? If Dal could provide anything helpful, it may be worth it. We can tail you and look out for you the whole time."

Knowing Eddie wasn't up to the task of deciding right then, Jamie decided to put it off for a bit. "I don't know. I'll talk with her about it after tour. It's been a rough morning already."

"I know, kid," Danny said, his voice softening sympathetically. "Call me back once you talk to her, alright? The sooner the better."

Jamie agreed and they hung up. He put his cell phone back in his pocket and turned to Eddie, swiping the sweat off her forehead with the back of his hand and stroking her cheek. "Do you want to go back to Iris's room? Or do you want to go home?" he asked, his voice calm and gentle.

"I'm ready to go home," Eddie said matter-of-factly. She looked exhausted, as if the panic attack had wrung her out. "This visit hasn't helped at all, Jamie. All I see when I look at Dr. Ackerman is that Brian did this to _another_ innocent person. He's trying to get to me and he's taking innocent people down to do it. I don't need to be reminded of that, so yes, I want to go home. Besides, I don't think I'm doing Dr. Ackerman any favors by being here."

Jamie nodded understandingly and kissed Eddie's temple, his lips lingering on her skin for a couple beats. They got to their feet slowly, and Eddie was a bit wobbly, but she made it to Dr. Ackerman's room without falling, which was more than Jamie expected. When they entered the room, Iris's forehead – or what was visible of it - was creased in concern and she was analyzing Eddie head to toe.

"Eddie, are you alright?" Iris asked, obviously noticing the same thing Jamie did: that Eddie didn't look well. "You seemed very upset when you left. Is there something you want to talk about?"

Eddie smiled a bit at that, realizing that even in a hospital bed, with her body all bruised and bloody and bandaged and memories that would haunt her for the rest of her life, Dr. Ackerman was still worrying about helping somebody else. "I'm alright, Dr. Ackerman," Eddie said in a voice that Jamie didn't find convincing. It was obvious by her facial expression that Iris wasn't convinced, either. "Do you have any family? Anybody who's been visiting you?"

Iris looked sad for a fleeting moment before she composed herself. "I have a couple of friends and a few patients who have visited, but no family. My parents died when I was thirteen, and my grandmother raised me. She's passed as well. But it's okay, really. Sometimes, especially in situations like this one, it's good to be alone with your thoughts every once in a while."

Eddie nodded in agreement, and Jamie could tell that she was fighting back tears again. "That's definitely true. Sometimes I just need to be alone to process everything. Luckily, Jamie understands and gives me space when I need it." Eddie turned and gave Jamie a smile over her shoulder, and Jamie smiled adoringly back at her. "But if you need to talk or if you need _anything_ , we're here for you. I hope you know that. I've been through what you went through – obviously – and I can understand better than just about anybody."

Iris smiled softly at them, looking from Eddie to Jamie and back again. "Yes, you can. I hate that you understand what I went through so well, but it's nice to have somebody who gets it." Iris was silent for a minute, fiddling with her tubing and the tape that was holding it down. "When do you go back to work, Eddie?"

Eddie looked at Jamie, her face uncertain. "Well, I go to the doctor tomorrow for my follow-up. My TBI and hematoma are the main issues right now, besides the fact that my wrist was cracked and is still healing. If my hematoma has shrunk and my scans are all clean, that will be a good start. But the cracked wrist will hold me back, too, because I obviously can't hold my gun with a wrist injury. So it's just one step at a time." Eddie shrugged, and Jamie could see that she was still bothered by the fact that she couldn't work.

After Jamie and Eddie reminded Iris again to call if she needed anything, they finally left, and the frigid New York wind against their faces outside the hospital was oddly refreshing. Jamie saw Eddie take a long, deep breath, which came with the consequence of a deep, rough cough. Jamie immediately hugged her close to him and wrapped the scarf around her mouth again, rushing her into the Mustang as quickly as he could without causing both of them to fall. It concerned him that she didn't complain at all.

As they waited for the car to warm up, Jamie studied Eddie closely. She unwrapped the scarf from her face and blew into her hands to warm them, and Jamie could hear her teeth chattering. Eventually, the Mustang's heat was on full blast, and Eddie settled back into the seat as Jamie pulled out of the hospital parking lot.

The radio was playing a Christmas song, and it was then that Jamie realized Christmas was only a few days away. He had been so wrapped up in keeping Eddie safe that the days were flying by and he was losing track. Eddie was humming softly to the song and looking out the window. All Jamie could see was her profile, but she looked sad or deep in thought or perhaps just tired. It was hard to tell anymore.

When they'd made it a few blocks away from the hospital, Jamie opened his mouth to speak, but Eddie surprised him by beating him to it. "Jamie, I'm sorry."

Jamie's forehead crinkled in confusion. "For what?"

Eddie turned back to him, and when she spoke, she sounded like she was fighting back tears. "For freaking out at the hospital. I'm sure it was embarrassing."

Jamie fought the urge to roll his eyes. It hadn't been embarrassing in the least. Dragging a crying, hysterical Eddie out into the hallway had been terrifying, of course, but there was nothing embarrassing about it. Instead of rolling his eyes, Jamie reached over and put a hand on Eddie's knee. "You didn't embarrass me, Eddie, or anybody else. You were hysterical and you had a panic attack, but you're fine now. That's all that matters to me."

Eddie put her hand on top of Jamie's and ran her fingers over his knuckles absentmindedly, clearly having no idea the effect it had on him. "I don't feel like us going there helped Iris at all. And she has no family, Jamie. I can't imagine going through this alone. If I hadn't had you..." Eddie trailed off, and when they stopped a stoplight, Jamie looked over at her. She was clearly fighting back tears. "If I hadn't had you, let's just say I wouldn't be here right now, whether I'd survived the attack or not."

The thought of Eddie dying as a result of Brian, of Jamie not getting to her in time that night, made Jamie sick to his stomach. But Eddie's fingers stroking his knuckles kept him grounded in the moment and didn't allow him to stay on that train of thought for long.

They stayed fairly quiet, Eddie's hand on Jamie's, for the next few blocks. The song "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol was playing now instead of Christmas music, and Eddie was singing quietly along with it. Jamie had a feeling she didn't even realize she was singing, and he knew she sure as hell didn't realize that he could listen to her all day long and never get tired of it. Her voice was light and happy, and you could hear nothing of the horror she'd endured in the last few weeks.

Eddie stopped singing just before the song was over, and when they stopped at a red light, Jamie stole another glance at her. She was asleep, her head lolling against the seatbelt in what looked to be a very uncomfortable position. Eddie often fell asleep after panic attacks, and this one seemed to have wiped her out a bit extra, because she didn't even stir when Jamie pulled his hand from hers and reached over to gently tilt her head up so that it wasn't hanging over the seatbelt.

They were nearly back to Eddie's apartment when he noticed it. There was a black SUV following closely behind them. Jamie couldn't see the driver, nor could he see a front plate of any kind. The windows were extremely tinted, which was suspicious enough on its own, and Jamie found himself pulling his cell phone out of his pocket, ready to call it in if necessary.

Jamie took a random right turn, and the SUV did the same. He went two blocks north before hanging a left, and once again, the SUV did the same. Jamie's heart started to pound violently in his chest. Trying to keep his voice steady, Jamie put his hand on Eddie's shoulder and said her name, shaking her gently. She opened her eyes and knew something was wrong the minute she looked at him. He obviously had panic all over his face. "Jamie, what the hell is happening?"

"Eddie, I think we're being tailed." Knowing Eddie would turn around and look, Jamie put his hand on her shoulder to stop her. "I need you to keep your seatbelt on and get your cell phone out. Get ready to call it in. I'm going to get back on a main road and see if I can lose him."

Jamie didn't need to turn towards Eddie to know that her eyes were full of fear. He'd seen her that way far too much lately. "Are you _sure_? Are you sure he's following us?" Even as she asked questions, Eddie was doing as he'd told her, pulling her cell phone out and making sure her seatbelt was secure.

"I'm positive. It's a black SUV, tinted windows, looks like maybe an older model GMC. He's followed closely at every random turn I've taken. I'm not taking any chances," Jamie said, hanging a right this time onto another isolated street. The SUV turned down the same street, so closely that Jamie couldn't see the headlights on the vehicle. His heart was racing so fast he thought it was going to explode. "I need you to text Danny. Tell him everything I just told you."

Jamie could hear Eddie's breathing pick up and her fingers tapping frantically on her cell phone. He wanted to tell her everything would be okay, something he had done so many times over the last few weeks, but in this instance, he wasn't entirely sure everything _would_ be okay. As long as Brian was still alive, whether he was bleeding to death or not, there was always a chance that Jamie and Eddie wouldn't be okay.

Jamie hung another right – as did the SUV – and then another, looping around to get back on the main road they'd been on when he'd noticed the SUV in the first place. The SUV did the same, following closer than ever, and Jamie sped up to five miles-per-hour over the speed limit. "Jamie, don't kill us in an accident, please. I didn't survive Brian to just be killed in a car accident," Eddie said, and Jamie could see her white-knuckling the oh-shit handle out of the corner of his eye.

"I won't, Eddie," Jamie assured her, briefly reaching over to squeeze her shoulder. He continued speeding, praying to whoever was listening that they would hit a light at just the right time and lose the tail. He took another couple of random turns, trying to throw the tail off while making a conscious effort to stay on main, busy streets. He was pulling off onto 50th when he caught a flash in the rearview mirror.

Before he even knew what he was doing, Jamie was screaming at Eddie to get down, and a bullet was slamming into the back of the Mustang.

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed this long-ass chapter! These next few chapters will be super eventful, so keep an eye out. Also, I will make my announcement on the next chapter. Thanks so much for reading!**

NEXT ON _NO SAFE PLACE_ : Jamie and Eddie deal with the aftermath of the latest attack against them, Eddie gets news from the doctor, and the search for Brian and any unknown associates continues.


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's note: Well, here it is! Chapter twenty-one. I'm so sorry for two things. The 1st is that it took so long. Thank you all for being so patient. The 2nd is that the chapter itself is so long. I had to cram a lot in at once and it was difficult. This story will be ending in just a few chapters, but I'm officially announcing that there will be a sequel! Make sure to read and review. Love you all.**

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-One**

 **Eddie**

By the time Eddie realized what had just happened, her ears were ringing and there was glass everywhere and Jamie was screaming into his cell phone while yelling something to her at the same time. Panic was clutching her chest in its fist, squeezing until she could no longer think or breathe or move.

Over the ringing in her ears, Eddie could hear Jamie telling her to stay down and to cover her head. It was muffled, but she could hear him. Then, another shot rang out. Jamie whipped the Mustang to the right swiftly so that the bullet just grazed Eddie's side of the car. Somebody was shooting out of the passenger side window of the SUV. That much was obvious.

Eddie crouched down, closed her eyes, kept her arms over her head, and prayed – she _never_ prayed – that Jamie wouldn't get hit. Suddenly, Eddie was hit with that image, the image of Jamie being shot and her holding him as he bled to death, and it damn near knocked any breath she had left right out of her. Her entire body started to shake.

Eddie had no idea how long she sat like that. It was almost as if she had blacked out completely from the stress of the situation, something she knew could happen without her control as her mind's way of coping and protecting itself. For all she knew, it could have been a minute or an hour, but the next thing she knew, there was a hand on her shoulder, and the ringing in her ears was starting to disappear slowly. She could hear Jamie's voice clearly. "Eddie! Are you hit?" He sounded frantic, and that panic in his voice really brought Eddie back to reality.

Eddie realized that she had all but curled up into a ball, was rocking back and forth, had tears streaming down her face, and was shaking so hard she was nearly seizing. The car was at a complete stop, pulled off on a side street. She was confused briefly until she saw the shattered glass in the backseat. Everything came rushing back to her, and the panic descended on her once again. She sat up slowly, trying to connect her mind with her body. The first things she noticed were the dull but throbbing pain in her head and the stinging sensation on her face, as if she had been stung by a thousand bees.

Jamie gently grabbed her chin and turned her face towards him. Once again, it was as though Jamie was behind foggy glass. She could barely make out his features, but she could see him enough to see the sheer panic in his face. "Eddie, what hurts? Talk to me so I know you're okay. An ambulance is on the way and Danny will be here soon."

Eddie's tongue felt massive in her mouth, and there was a lump in her throat, threatening to choke her. Her mouth was dry as the desert. It took her a moment to find her voice. "My head hurts a little... And my face." Trying to clear her vision, Eddie reached up and rubbed her eyes, closing them momentarily. When she opened them again, she could see a bit more clearly. Jamie looked _terrified_. Unhurt, but terrified. "What happened?" she croaked out, studying Jamie up and down, looking for injuries through her blurry vision. "Are _you_ hurt?"

Jamie's hand reached over to pick glass out of Eddie's hair. Eddie gathered that her face was stinging from being sprayed with glass, but she couldn't be sure. "The back window was shot out, and then a bullet grazed your side of the car," Jamie explained, out of breath with panic. "I'm not hit. I swerved right and we lost him." Eddie was wriggling in her seat, and Jamie reached a hand over to steady her. "Eddie, I need you to stay still until the bus gets here. We need to make sure you're okay."

Eddie didn't have the energy to argue. She suddenly had flashes from the accident she'd been in two years before, when she'd been kidnapped by Russell Price, and Jamie, Danny, and Baez had intervened by crashing into the car he'd taken her in. Jamie had found her duct-taped, scraped up, and terrified in the back seat, and after he cut the duct tape, he'd told her to stay still and she'd completely refused. Not a minute later, she was sitting on her ass on the sidewalk, where Jamie had led her when she nearly passed out in his arms upon insisting on getting out of the car.

She knew to listen to him this time.

As they sat there waiting for help to arrive, Eddie's shock began to wear off slowly, and the harsh, horrible reality of what had just happened hit Eddie like a ton of bricks. Tears started pouring down her face and she tried to swipe them away, only to find her hand covered in blood when she pulled it away. Jamie noticed before she had a chance to wipe it on her pants. "Eddie, don't touch your face. There could still be glass in your cheek," he said, grabbing her hand and holding it in his. He inspected the left side of her face, the side the glass had come in contact with, and that was when he noticed that she was crying, despite Eddie's best efforts to hide it. His face softened, and he squeezed her hand. "Eddie, please don't cry. You're okay."

More tears spilled out of Eddie's eyes and she shook her head. "No, I'm not. None of this is okay. We were _shot_ at, Jamie. What the hell is okay about that? About any of this?"

Before Jamie could answer, the ambulance rolled up, with a squad car as well as Danny and Baez not far behind. Two paramedics, a man and a woman, came bounding out of the ambulance, each holding a medical bag and a gurney, which Eddie had no intention of getting on. The woman came to Eddie's side and the man to Jamie's. The woman looked like she was maybe in her mid-forties, and she looked like she was tired of her job.

"I'm Shannon and I'll be taking care of you today. What's your name?" the woman said, slipping a blood pressure cuff around Eddie's arm.

"Eddie Janko."

Shannon asked Eddie a few more questions, like her age, date of birth, blood type, and if anything was hurting her. Eddie, being Eddie, downplayed it. "My head hurts a little, and my face." She pointed to the cuts on the left side of her face.

Jamie knew her far too well, knew she would be downplaying it, and said, "She has a TBI and a resulting subdural hematoma from an attack a few weeks ago. She also has a cracked wrist that's still healing."

Eddie couldn't help but roll her eyes, a mixture of amused and annoyed. "Sorry. He's _overprotective_ ," Eddie said to Shannon, making sure she said the "overprotective" part loudly enough that Jamie could hear. "I'm going to the doctor tomorrow for a scan of my head, so if you could just patch these cuts on my face up, that would be great. I didn't hit my head or anything like that."

Eddie could tell that Shannon wanted to ask what had happened, but probably knowing that that was the police's job, she didn't ask, and Eddie didn't volunteer. She didn't want to bring anybody else into this clusterfuck of a situation.

After checking Eddie's blood pressure – which was shockingly stable – and shining a light into Eddie's eyes, Shannon pulled glass out of Eddie's left cheek with tweezers, and Eddie couldn't help but cry out a few times in pain. When Shannon was sure all of it was out, she rubbed them down with an alcohol wipe – holy ouch – and covered them with Band-Aids. Eddie was asked two more times if she would go to the hospital and she refused, so Shannon gave her a waiver to sign.

Shannon returned to the ambulance and Eddie remained in the car, knowing she shouldn't get out until the area was properly cleared and cordoned off. Jamie was still being treated, the male paramedic putting a butterfly suture over a small cut on Jamie's left temple. Jamie refused to go to the hospital as well, and when the waiver was signed, the other paramedic joined Shannon in the ambulance.

"You all good?" Jamie asked Eddie, his face full of concern as he looked her over, studying the now-covered gashes on her face.

Eddie nodded and reached out to grab Jamie's chin in her hand, tilting it sideways to inspect his face the same way he had done hers before the ambulance had arrived. "We don't look too bad for having just been shot at, do we?" Eddie said, trying to lighten the mood. It halfway worked, because Jamie smiled at her and shook his head incredulously.

"I have a feeling I'll be taking another sick day today," Jamie said, and Eddie felt elation, because truthfully, she wanted nothing more than to go back to the apartment, curl up into Jamie's arms, and never leave again.

Before Eddie could say anything, Danny and Baez approached the car and motioned for Jamie and Eddie to come out. Eddie climbed out of the Mustang as slowly as she could, but not slow enough. A feeling of lightheadedness washed over her and she had to grab onto the edge of the car to keep her balance. Jamie, of course, didn't miss a beat and was over to her in what she swore was half a second. "Eddie, are you alright? Do you need to sit down?" He had his hands tight on her shoulders and he was staring into her eyes, that terrified look back on his face. "I _knew_ you should have gone in the ambulance and gotten checked out. You could have hurt your head worse or the stress could have done something or-"

Eddie stopped him by putting her violently shaking hands on either side of his face, careful to avoid the gash on his cheek. "I'm okay. I'm just a little lightheaded," she assured him, stroking his skin with her thumb. "Calm down. I'm okay and you're okay." She couldn't stop herself from leaning forward and pecking him on his unhurt cheek. Danny and Baez were watching (closely), but frankly, Eddie didn't care. Not now.

Although worry was still written all over his face, Jamie just nodded and grabbed Eddie's hand. "Let's get out of here," he said, squeezing her hand tightly.

Danny and Baez led them over to the additional squad car that had arrived, where two officers questioned them extensively outside. Jamie explained everything that had been going on with Brian, and that this afternoon they had been shot at by people in an SUV who had been tailing them. Eddie spoke only when asked questions, cold and exhaustion overwhelming her all of a sudden. She slumped against Jamie, shivering where they stood, and his arm came around her so that she was pulled into his side. She was trying desperately to stop her teeth from chattering. The male cop was going on about traffic cameras and witness statements and other things of that sort. Eddie tuned him out, unable to focus on what he was saying.

Ten minutes passed. Then fifteen. Then twenty. Finally, when Eddie let out a wheezing, deep cough, Jamie gave her a squeeze and said, "Eddie, why don't you go sit in Danny's car? You shouldn't be out in this cold." She could hear the questioning officer protesting, but she didn't care. She didn't have anymore information to give him, and her tongue felt like it was freezing in her mouth, never mind the fact that she couldn't feel her feet or her hands.

Eddie knew better than to argue. Baez led her to the car and opened the backseat door for her. The car was warm with heat blasting full-force. Eddie couldn't feel her toes or her fingers at all, so she moved to where she was directly in front of the stream of heat coming from the front seat. "I'll be right back, okay?" Baez said, giving Eddie a squeeze on the shoulder before closing the door gently and walking back over to Danny, Jamie, and the other two cops.

In the comforting warmth of the car, Eddie put her head back against the seat, curled up, and closed her eyes, trying her hardest to ignore the pounding of her head and the stinging of her face. She found herself drifting off, and the last thought on her mind was one she'd had far too often lately.

 _This is all my fault_.

* * *

 **Jamie**

When the tow truck arrived to remove the Mustang and take it to get repaired, Jamie, Danny, and Baez returned to the squad car, where they found Eddie sound asleep in the backseat.

Jamie smiled and slowly slid into the backseat beside her, trying not to disturb her. She must have sensed his presence even in sleep, because she tucked herself in next to him, her legs pulled up onto the seat. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, her head landing in the spot between his neck and shoulder. He subconsciously rubbed her arm, and he could see Danny looking at them in the mirror, smiling.

 _They definitely know something's up_ , Jamie thought, giving Danny a smile back. The ride was silent for a few minutes, with Eddie snuggling closer into Jamie's side by the second and Jamie stroking her hair. Finally, it was Danny who spoke first. "Still don't think the safe house is a good idea, Jamie?" he asked, whispering so as not to wake Eddie.

Jamie stared out the window for a moment, contemplating. "I personally think it's a good idea. I really do," he whispered. "It's Eddie that needs convincing. I'll talk to her about it when she wakes up. Maybe what happened in the car today will make her change her mind." Truthfully, Jamie was too exhausted to think about it right then and there.

Luckily, Danny merely nodded and continued to stare forward, biting the inside of his cheek like he sometimes did when he was deep in thought. The rest of the car ride was silent, and they had pulled up to Eddie's building before they knew it. Exhaustion had hit Jamie like a ton of bricks, and he knew right then that he would be using another one of his sick days, no qualms about it.

"Jamie, talk to Eddie about Dal and about the safe house situation and let me know, okay? This is time sensitive, kid. You know this. And please, for the love of God, be careful. If you need a ride, call me or Linda or Dad or somebody." Danny's voice was stern but his expression was soft and full of concern.

Jamie agreed and thanked both Danny and Baez before sliding out of the warmth of the car. He very seriously considered not waking Eddie up and just carrying her instead, but he knew she would probably wake up anyway during that process, so he lightly bent down and stroked the side of her face. "Eddie, wake up," he whispered, and when she didn't even stir, he stroked her hair back from her face and said it again, a little louder. This time, she woke with a start, her eyes wild. Jamie immediately put his hands on either side of her face. "Calm down, Eddie, it's just me. You fell asleep in Danny and Baez's car. We're at your building."

Eddie's cheeks flamed red as she realized that Danny and Baez were watching. "Sorry," she said, looking down at her feet.

Danny shook his head and waved a hand. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Janko. You've both been through a lot. Go get some rest."

Eddie thanked Danny and Baez before climbing out of the car, where Jamie wrapped his hands around her elbows and guided her, trying to avoid the ice patches that seemed to be everywhere. "That was embarrassing," Eddie mumbled as they finally walked through the doors of her building.

"You never have to be embarrassed for anything, Eddie," Jamie assured her, squeezing her hand as they started to climb the stairs, one of his hands still around her elbow. "Especially not with me or Danny or Baez."

Halfway up the stairs, Eddie started to cough and had to stop to rest. She leaned into Jamie as she caught her breath, and he studied her closely with concern. Her cough was rough and ear-piercing, and as Jamie studied her, he realized that her coloring was off as well. Eddie caught him eyeing her, straightened up, and said, "I'm good. Let's keep it moving."

Jamie put his hands on Eddie's shoulders to stop her. "Eddie, stop. Slow down. Your cough sounds horrible, and I think you need to rest another minute before you climb twenty more steps." Her cough sounded worse than _horrible_ ; it was shrill and barking.

Eddie huffed in exasperation. "Jamie, I'm fine. I just want to get up to the apartment and sit the hell down. Maybe drink some tea or whiskey with honey or whatever the hell it is that people do when they have a cough. Plus, it's freezing in this damn stairwell."

She had a point. Jamie had chill bumps on his arms and he was trying consciously not to shiver. "Fine. But we can stop again if you need to."

They started walking again, Jamie keeping his arm firmly around Eddie's waist. He studied her face every few steps, trying to make sure she wasn't about to pass out. "We don't really have time to keep stopping, Reagan. You have a tour to get to."

Jamie scoffed, shaking his head. "No, Eddie, I don't. After this morning, I'm not leaving you here. Obviously, Brian still has minions out trying to take us down since the bastard can't do it himself... I'm just not taking that chance. Not with you." Jamie cringed a bit at how mushy he sounded, but a little smile was quirking at Eddie's lips. "Plus, I don't know about you, but I want to go back to the apartment and sleep all day. I have plenty of vacation time to do so."

Jamie was expecting Eddie to argue, but she didn't. She just kept walking, coughing every once in a while and rolling her eyes every time Jamie suggested they stop, even though she was clearly exhausted and sick.

When they finally did reach the apartment, Eddie was nearly doubled over and heaving, and Jamie felt sick just watching her and hearing her barking cough. The frigid cold had obviously affected her horribly, and that was all the motivation Jamie needed to not get her out in it again until her appointment tomorrow.

Eddie leaned on Jamie heavily as they entered the apartment. Jamie could feel her shaking and feel how cold her hands were. Her teeth were chattering violently. "Eddie, are you alright?" he asked as he armed the alarm system and locked every lock. Eddie had dropped onto the couch and was still violently shivering. She looked miserable.

"Not r-really," Eddie stuttered between chattering teeth. "I f-feel like h-hell."

Wordlessly, Jamie walked over to Eddie and crouched down in front of her, pulling her shoes and socks off in one tug. His heart leapt into his throat when his fingers came into contact with her feet. They were white as a sheet and ice cold. What worried him almost as much was that Eddie didn't even protest when he examined them, almost like she couldn't feel his fingers on her skin. "Eddie, can you feel your feet at all?"

Eddie's head had lolled back against the couch, and her eyes were closed. "A little. I feel l-like my s-socks may have b-been wet."

Jamie frowned and pulled Eddie's boots and socks over to him, and lo and behold, snow had soaked through the bottom of her boots and had soaked her socks, meaning she'd been standing outside that whole time and walking up all those stairs with frozen feet.

Jamie threw Eddie's shoes to the side and moved up on the couch beside her, brushing her hair back from her face. "Eddie, I need you to stay awake and tuck your feet under you. I'm going to go get you some dry clothes, okay?" Her cheeks were bright red and her closed eyes were red-rimmed.

Eddie nodded, tucking her feet underneath her as Jamie stood from the couch. "Third drawer down in my d-dresser. T-there's s-s-sweatpants and an extra w-warm sw-sweatshirt in t-there."

Jamie nodded, forehead creased with worry as his strong partner – soon to be his ex-partner – lay on her couch, stuttering and slurring and shivering violently. "Okay. Don't move. I'll be right back."

Jamie didn't give her a chance to respond before he literally ran down the hallway to Eddie's bedroom, grabbing a thick pair of sweatpants and the balled-up sweatshirt in the corner of the drawer, as well as a pair of socks. When he returned to the living room, Eddie had curled up on her side on the couch, almost in the fetal position. Her eyes were open this time, and she was staring blankly ahead.

Jamie walked over to her and crouched beside her again, his hand reaching down to stroke her hair before falling on her shoulder. She wasn't shivering as violently as before, but it was still obvious something wasn't right. Jamie held out the clothes to her and she took them with shaking hands. "Let me help you to your bedroom so you can change, okay?" Jamie asked as Eddie unsteadily got to her feet.

Jamie watched Eddie's every move (even more than usual) as he led her to her bedroom, his arm tightly around her waist. Saying nothing, Eddie plopped down on the bed, wrapping her arms around her own shivering frame. Eddie changed right there in her bedroom while Jamie went into the hall and pulled his cell phone out, speed-dialing Linda's number.

Linda answered after only one ring, and Jamie hurriedly explained what had happened with the SUV, explaining Eddie's symptoms and making sure to include that they'd been questioned outside in the freezing cold. Linda immediately launched into an explanation. "Okay, I'm sure you've already gotten her into dry clothes, so what you need to do next is keep her calm but keep her moving, and have her drink warm fluids that aren't caffeinated or alcoholic. Do _not_ let her warm herself by a fire or heater or anything like that because she's more likely to get burned since she's probably lost feeling in her hands and feet. If none of this works, put her hands and feet in warm water. If she's completely alert, put her in a warm bath, but _do not_ leave her even if she **is** alert. You can also try a heating pad or a hot water bottle, but at low heat only."

Jamie's head was spinning and he struggled a bit to process everything. Before he had a chance to say anything, Linda added, "And Jamie, you need to keep yourself calm, too. For Eddie's sake and for your own. If she sweats, her body temperature will drop even more."

"Okay. Thanks so much, Linda," Jamie said, blowing out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

"It's no problem. If you need me to come over there and stay with Eddie or help with anything, let me know," Linda reminded him.

Jamie thanked her once again, and they hung up just as Eddie came shuffling down the hallway in the clothes he'd brought her. She was bracing herself on the wall for support. She looked sick and sad and scared and exhausted and Jamie was sick of seeing her that way. It took everything he had for him not to run over to her and help her – something that had become second nature – but with Linda's instruction to keep her moving in the forefront of his mind, he let Eddie do her thing.

"Who was that?" Eddie asked, gesturing to the cell phone still in his hands as she shuffled over to the couch and plopped down on it. Jamie was relieved to hear that her teeth weren't chattering so hard she was stuttering anymore.

"That was Linda. She gave me some tips on how to get your body temperature up," he informed her. Clearly, Eddie still had her sense of humor – a wicked one, at that – because she raised her eyebrows suggestively and gave him a half-smile that nearly made his heart stop. It was only then that he realized how his words sounded. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Janko. So, hot tea or decaf coffee? That's one of the things Linda told me to try: give you something warm to drink that doesn't have caffeine."

"Decaf coffee?" Eddie echoed with a look of pure disgust. "Hell no. I'd rather drink my own pee. Hot tea, please. There's a box of mint tea in the cabinet above the sink."

"That's a disgusting visual, but okay," Jamie said, stifling a laugh as he went to the kitchen.

"What else did Linda say we should try?" Eddie asked as she flipped the TV on, turning it to the channel that constantly aired _Friends_ re-runs.

"She said to keep you moving, have you drink hot tea or coffee, and if that doesn't work, try a warm water bath." At the word "bath," Eddie whipped her head around again and stared at him with a questioning look on her face. He quickly added, "Just your hands and feet first. Then if that doesn't work, we can try putting your whole body in, but apparently that's a last resort. Also, you can try a heating pad or hot water bottle." Jamie shrugged, dipping the tea bag into the coffee mug in front of him.

Eddie chewed the skin on her lips for a minute, obviously pondering something. "I vote tea, my heating pad, and curling up on the couch in front of the TV. How does that sound?"

Jamie smiled and nodded his head as he padded back into the living room and handed Eddie her tea. "That sounds perfect to me." Eddie's hands shook violently as she took the mug, and Jamie kept his hands over hers as she took a sip, just in case.

After a couple sips, Eddie let out a moan of satisfaction. "This is perfect. My throat hurts." She took slow sips and Jamie watched her carefully, terrified that a tremor would throw the cup out of her hands and the tea would scald her. The worst case scenario was always what popped into Jamie's head when it came to Eddie, and he hated it. "Can you get the heating pad? It's under the bathroom sink."

Jamie squeezed Eddie's knee and stood from the couch, leaving Eddie sipping her tea. After he retrieved the heating pad, he returned to the living room and plugged it in, putting it on the lowest setting possible and handing it to her.

After finishing her tea – much to Jamie's delight – Eddie laid down on her side on the couch and scrunched up as tight as she could go, curling her body around the heating pad. Jamie could see that she was still shivering even with warm clothes and her heating pad, and Jamie knew with one look at her that there was no way he was going to work. Even if her teeth weren't chattering anymore, Jamie could tell Eddie still felt awful, and there was no way he was going anywhere.

Jamie reached down and stroked Eddie's hair away from her face, and she leaned into his touch. "I'll be right back, okay? I'm going to call the 12th and let them know I'm not coming in," he told her. Once again, she didn't argue, instead just nodding her head and smiling half-heartedly at him.

When Jamie returned from making the call, he took his seat on the arm of the couch, not wanting to crowd Eddie. "Jamie?" Eddie said, toying with a string on the blanket she'd pulled over herself.

"Yeah?"

Eddie looked sheepish all of a sudden, something Jamie rarely saw from her. It took a _lot_ to fluster her or make her nervous. He'd learned that pretty quickly.

However, Jamie was obviously easy to fluster, because what Eddie said next gave him butterflies. "Will you lay here with me and rub my back? I don't want to be alone right now." She stood up slowly and gestured towards the couch.

Smiling but trying not to seem too eager, Jamie rounded the corner of the couch and, after kicking off his shoes, planted himself in the spot she'd just vacated to make room for him. He positioned himself so that he was laying on his back with his head on the arm of the couch, his legs stretched out almost the entire length of the sofa. "Come here," he told Eddie once he was comfortable.

Wasting absolutely no time, Eddie laid down on his right side, closest to the back of the sofa. His right arm came around her naturally as she situated the heating pad onto her stomach so that it was in between them a little. She looked sleepy, and frankly, the warmth of Eddie's body and the heating pad was enough to make Jamie feel drowsy himself.

As she'd requested, Jamie slipped his hand just under Eddie's sweatshirt and ran his calloused fingers up and down her back, tracing random patterns on her skin as _Friends_ played in the background.

"I think this needs to become a new thing," Eddie said, tilting her head back to look at Jamie.

Jamie decided to play dumb. "You think what needs to become a new thing?"

"Don't be coy, Jamie. Us, laying on the couch together, and you rubbing my back. That's what."

Jamie grinned down at her, unable to stop himself from kissing her on the forehead and then on her temple. "I think we can manage that."

Eddie settled her head back on Jamie's chest and snuggled as deeply into him as she could. He alternated between the pads of his fingers and his fingernails on Eddie's skin, rubbing circles and random zig-zags. Within minutes, Eddie's breathing evened out, and when he peered down at her face, he found her sound asleep. He made a mental note right then and there that rubbing Eddie's back helped her fall asleep.

Jamie just held Eddie for about a half an hour as she slept before he finally gave in to sleep himself.

* * *

It seemed like Jamie had just fallen asleep when he was yanked out of his slumber by his ringing cell phone. Confused, he sat up slightly and realized why he felt hot and sticky. Eddie was laying completely on top of him now, sound asleep, his arm still around her tightly and the heating pad forgotten on the floor beside them.

Trying not to jostle Eddie too much, Jamie reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. His heart leapt into his throat when he saw that the caller ID said **Danny**. Once again trying not to jostle or wake Eddie, he answered the phone in a whisper. "Danny? What's going on?"

"Jamie, we got Brian."

Four words. Four words and everything changed.

* * *

 **Well, there you have it. I hope you loved this chapter. I'm now writing for Pretty Little Liars AND Blue Bloods, so if you have any story requests, please send me a pm or an e-mail at the link in my bio. :)**


	22. Chapter 22

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, first of all, I'm so sorry that this update has taken so long. I'm starting school, we're moving, and a few other things have been going on. That's no excuse, but lack of time is the sole reason that this took forever. Thanks for sticking with me, guys. Updates will be more regular now, I promise. Also, DON'T FORGET TO SEND ME STORY REQUESTS! I take them for Blue Bloods and Pretty Little Liars only at the moment.**

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Two**

 **Eddie**

"Eddie. _Eddie_. Wake up, sweetheart."

The words themselves barely penetrated Eddie's subconscious; it was the kiss pressed to the side of her face that accompanied those words that actually woke her.

When she opened her eyes, she was still lying on top of Jamie, but the heating pad was nowhere near where it had been before, her legs were all twisted with his, and she hardly felt any warmer than she had when she'd gone to sleep.

Swiping a hand over her face, Eddie looked up at Jamie, squinting at him and studying his face. He looked a mixture of concerned, scared, and excited. "What's wrong?" Eddie asked, her voice hoarse. When she saw his cell phone in his hand, her heart dropped into her stomach. "Oh, God... Jamie, _what's wrong_? Is it Brian? Did he hurt somebody else? Did he-"

Jamie's hands came up to cup Eddie's face, and his thumbs ghosted across her cheekbones, carefully avoiding the areas that were cut by the glass from the Mustang. Normally, that would have calmed her – it always did – but this time, it did little to soothe her or calm her racing heart. "Eddie, they may have Brian."

The words took a few seconds to process, but when they did, Eddie felt like she had been kicked in the stomach. " _What_?" she sputtered. She felt such a mixture of excitement, fear, confusion, and fatigue that she felt like she was about to explode or vomit. "What... What do you mean they 'may' have Brian? Do they or do they not?" Her voice rose an octave with every word, and by the end of her tirade, she was yelling.

Jamie, of course, didn't flinch. He was used to her screeching and wailing and crying by now, and of course, she wished he never had to get used to it. "Dal Cooper called Danny secretly to let him know that Brian was at his apartment, very badly hurt and angry," Jamie explained, brushing a lock of blonde hair away from Eddie's face, something that she had found to be calming. "Danny and Baez are headed over there now, but Danny said not to get our hopes up because Brian could be out of there by now."

Eddie said nothing. She just stared at him blankly, trying to process what he was saying and not lose her shit. When she didn't speak, Jamie added, "But that's not why I woke you up. In fact, I wasn't even going to tell you about the Brian thing until we knew for sure because I didn't want to get your hopes up."

Eddie's forehead crinkled in confusion. "Then... why did you wake me up?" There was no irritation in her words; just confusion and exhaustion.

Jamie brushed a hand across Eddie's forehead, his fingers leaving the skin there tingling. "I woke you up because you're still shivering, and I think we need to try some other stuff."

"I know Linda suggested it, but you're _not_ giving me a bath, Reagan."

Jamie looked like he almost choked on his tongue at her words, and a laugh escaped him that made a smile break out across Eddie's face as well. "Eddie, it's not- First of all, I picked your naked self up off my bathroom floor after you scared the hell out of me by fainting in the shower. And second, I wasn't going to suggest the bath. I was going to suggest more tea _and_ the heating pad _and_ another blanket."

Most women would have blushed at Jamie's response, but oddly, after everything they'd been through, Eddie didn't feel embarrassed, nor did she blush in the slightest. She just shrugged and said, "Okay, fine. There's another Massi blanket in my bedroom. **But**... After I drink my tea, I'm laying back down, watching _Friends_ , and I'll pay you ten bucks to rub my back again."

Jamie rolled his eyes and chuckled a little, but his smile quickly disappeared when a cold tremor violently tore through her, driving his point home. "Alright. You're not paying me, but otherwise, you have a deal. I'm gonna go get you another blanket and get your tea." Jamie stood and wrapped the Massi throw blanket around Eddie, surprising her when he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. As he padded to the bathroom, he gave her a smile that damn near stopped her heart and made her shiver in a way that certainly had nothing to do with her body temperature.

Eddie channel surfed until Jamie returned with the ridiculously soft black blanket that she kept as an extra in her bedroom. He wrapped it around her as well, and although she was cold in that moment, she was positive that along with the tea, the heating pad, and Jamie, she was going to die of a heatstroke. "You know, Jamie, the last time I was this bundled up was when that crazy snowstorm hit a couple years ago and my heater went out. I think this may be overkill," she said sarcastically as Jamie made his way into the kitchen.

"Well, I'd rather you be way too warm than way too cold. Because your lung collapsed, you're apparently more at risk for pneumonia. And if you get pneumonia and you start breathing hard, it could cause your lung to collapse again." Jamie rattled it off like he'd read up on the topic for hours, and knowing him, he probably had. "So I'm not taking that chance," he added as he shuffled around in the kitchen, starting the process of heating up the water for her tea.

The two were silent for a moment, with only the sounds of Jamie in the kitchen and _Friends_ on the TV. A season three episode was playing, but Eddie wasn't watching. She was absentmindedly staring out the window, shivering violently, her mind beginning to wander. She thought about Brian – the son of a bitch occupied her thoughts far too much lately – and what would have happened if she'd never gotten involved with him or, even better, never met him at all.

All Eddie knew for sure was that she wouldn't have ever been in the hospital at least once a month for most of their relationship, she wouldn't be so acutely aware of what human beings can do to other human beings, she wouldn't know what it was like to be brutally raped, and she wouldn't know what it was like to be beaten within an inch of her life. And as a result, Jamie wouldn't have had to experience somebody he cared for – _loved_ \- falling apart. He wouldn't have had to experience the blood or the bruises or the screaming or the wailing or the sweat-soaked nightmares.

Jamie came around the sofa to stand in front of it with a mug in his hands, and his face fell. "Eddie, what's wrong?" he asked, setting the mug down and stroking a hand over her hair.

It was only then that Eddie realized she was crying. She reached a hand out from under her cocoon of blankets and swiped at her cheeks, and sure enough, her hand came away wet. The tears were burning the cuts on her face, but she barely felt it. She shrugged, looking down at her lap, completely unsure of what to say. "I just... It's nothing." She forced a smile and the facial expression Jamie gave her told her that he knew she was full of shit. "I was just thinking about..." She trailed off, chewing the skin on her lips.

Jamie's fingers threaded through her hair and he moved to sit beside her, turning her a little so that she was facing him. "What, sweetheart? What were you thinking about?"

The term of endearment made Eddie's heart swell, and Jamie was looking at her so tenderly and patiently that she wanted to wail and kiss him at the same time. As she looked at his face and the love that was so obviously written all over it, Eddie knew she owed him _at least_ an answer. Hell, she owed him the damned moon and stars for everything he'd done and been for her.

"I was just thinking about how much we've been through in these last few weeks," Eddie began finally as Jamie took her hands in his, the tears in her eyes spilling over again, "and how none of it ever would have happened if I hadn't gotten involved with Brian in the first place."

Jamie was shaking his head before Eddie even finished talking. "Eddie, we've been through this. **None** of it was your fault. And if you want to try to look at the bright side, Brian kind of brought us closer. That's one thing the son of a bitch gave us. _Of course_ , I wish none of this had happened... but it did, and you and I are closer now for it. So stop beating yourself up. Do you hear me?" When Eddie didn't look at him, Jamie put a gentle finger under her chin and tilted her face up, forcing her to look at him. "Do you hear me?" he asked again, his voice firm but gentle simultaneously.

With Jamie's eyes locked on hers, Eddie had a hard time catching her breath, and she fought with everything she had not to lean forward and kiss him, knowing that now was not the time and that she shouldn't start what they couldn't finish. And until she'd at least been medically cleared, they _couldn't_ finish it. So she just nodded and locked her hand around his. "I hear you. I may not totally believe it yet, and I may blame myself for a long time, but I see what you're saying."

Looking satisfied with her answer, Jamie nodded and reached a finger up to wipe her tears away, his fingers so gentle on her skin that she felt like she may start bawling again. Apparently, she still looked sad, because Jamie leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Don't cry. Please don't cry," he whispered against her skin, one of his hands tangling in her hair, calloused fingertips massaging her scalp.

Eddie sniffled, not trusting herself to talk. Sitting down beside her, Jamie pulled Eddie in close to his side and handed her the tea he'd just made. It was still scalding hot and it burned her throat, but Eddie didn't mind. Jamie's hand was hovering just near hers as she took sip after sip, ready to catch the cup to prevent her from scalding herself if she were to drop it. The two stayed in a comfortable silence while she drained the cup completely, holding it out to Jamie when she was finished.

"Alright. Now it's heating pad time," Jamie said as he took the cup from Eddie's hands. "Do you want to move to your bed? We could watch _Friends_ in there." He shrugged as he stood and carried the cup to the kitchen, placing it in the sink before returning to the living room.

Frankly, the thought of laying in bed with her heating pad, blankets, _Friends_ , and Jamie sounded like heaven. Eddie found herself nodding in agreement before she'd even thought much about it. "That sounds perfect. I'm getting sick of this couch and I need more room to stretch out."

"Okay. Well, I need to change your dressings first." Jamie bent down to lift the blankets and toyed with the edge of the shoulder of Eddie's t-shirt, just above her bullet graze.

"I need a damn shower, Jamie," Eddie mumbled. She'd felt grimy all day, especially after what happened in the Mustang.

Jamie looked at her sympathetically, moving his hand to the spot where her shoulder met her neck, rubbing the tension out of it. "I know, Eddie, but we have to get your body temperature regulated first. Then, you can shower. Until then, I'll wash all your cuts and wrap them if they even need it."

Eddie nodded but not without a frown. She felt like a petulant child who wasn't getting her way, and she knew Jamie had had to deal with that far too often lately, but she also knew that she had every right to be frustrated. With Brian – duh – and herself and this whole situation. Jamie seemed to be the only person who didn't constantly frustrate her (if sexual frustration didn't count).

Jamie gently pulled Eddie to her feet, and she immediately remembered why she had been drowning in blankets in the first place. She was _freezing_ the minute they were off of her, and she was pretty sure that if she were to get into a hot shower now, it would send her into shock.

Jamie grabbed the bandage bag and lead Eddie to the bathroom by the hand, his warm fingers closed around her frigid ones. After flipping on the bathroom light, he helped her up onto the countertop and stepped between her legs. "This is gonna sting like hell," he told her unnecessarily, seeing as she was already cringing before he even opened the alcohol wipe. Even though he warned her first, Eddie still hissed in pain when the freezing cold wipe came into contact with her skin. Jamie didn't pull back but looked at her sadly. "I'm sorry."

"If I'm not allowed to unnecessarily apologize, neither are you. Got it?" Eddie quipped, trying not to let the pain seep into her voice.

Jamie just gave her a half-hearted smile and said nothing. While he was focused on his work, Eddie took a minute to study him, and she found the complete and total determination on his face to be insanely cute. "So... how bad is it?" she asked, gesturing to her face. "I haven't had the heart to look in the mirror."

Jamie chewed his lip for a minute, studying her face up and down as if he hadn't been looking straight at it for the last five minutes. "You've got a pretty bad cut above your left eyebrow," he muttered, running his fingertips over the skin there, leaving it tingling. Then his finger traveled up her forehead, coming to rest just at her hairline. "You also have a bunch of tiny ones along the top of your forehead and left temple." The space between Jamie's eyebrows furrowed and he looked troubled as he ran a finger over her cheekbone. "Your left cheek is pretty cut up, too, but I don't think it will scar."

Eddie merely nodded silently. She was hardly even listening to Jamie's analysis of her face anymore. She was too busy looking at **his** face, the concern written all over it turning her to jelly. His forehead was creased like tissue paper and his eyes – the eyes that _still_ made her weak in the knees – were roaming her face. It only served to distract her more when Jamie's left hand found her knee, resting there while he used the other to dab at her face with the alcohol wipes.

It was the pain of the alcohol coming into contact with the cut above her eyebrow that brought Eddie back to reality, and she couldn't help the second hiss of pain that slipped through her lips. Jamie squeezed her leg where his hand was resting. "I'm so sorry this hurts. I'm almost done. This cut above your eyebrow is bad."

Clenching her teeth, Eddie said nothing, trying not to scream or kick Jamie or cry. _When did I become such a baby about pain?_ she thought as Jamie slathered her face in the ointment, his fingers as gentle as could be.

"Alright. Let me see your back," Jamie ordered gently as he finished one last cut, the one on Eddie's temple. Eddie shifted so that her back was to Jamie and lifted her t-shirt.

The small gasp that escaped Jamie's lips immediately sent Eddie's heart rate skyrocketing. " _What?_ What's wrong? How bad is it? I thought they were getting better. I don't-"

Jamie cut Eddie off by putting his hand on her shoulder, squeezing lightly to yank her out of her paranoia-filled rant. "Eddie, they look _great_. Calm down. They don't even need Neosporin."

Eddie let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "What about my shoulder?" she said, remembering the tenderness she'd felt in it the day before.

Any relief either of them felt about the condition of her back disappeared when Jamie moved Eddie's t-shirt to the side and cursed through his teeth. "Eddie, don't panic, but this is bad." He prodded around the wound and Eddie howled in pain when he hit a particular spot.

The wound was positioned perfectly for Eddie not to be able to see it properly, which was probably a good thing. "'Don't panic'?!" she screeched, twisting her head in fifty different directions in an attempt to see what Jamie was so horrified by. She couldn't see it, but she **could** see Jamie's face, and he looked terrified. "I shot past panic already, Reagan. Do we need to go to the ER? My follow-up appointment is tomorrow. If that wound is infected, I swear-"

Jamie cut her off by shaking his head. "We don't need to go to the ER, but we definitely need to have the doctor look at it tomorrow. It's bright red and is starting to ooze." His fingertip traced far too close to the actual wound for Eddie's comfort, and she jumped a mile when he hit another spot that was incredibly tender. "I'm sorry. I'm going to alcohol it and cover it and then I'll leave it alone." He was studying what he could see of Eddie's face closely, looking for signs of pain, and Eddie tried to school her features so that he wouldn't see any. Clearly, she didn't do a very good job, because he was looking at her like he'd just kicked her in the face rather than just accidentally touching her bullet graze.

"No apologizing unnecessarily, remember?" Eddie reminded him gently as he opened a bottle of isopropyl rubbing alcohol that they'd put in the bandage bag for her bigger wounds. "You didn't do this to me, so you don't get to apologize for it or anything related to it."

Jamie just smiled in response, but it didn't reach his eyes. Before Eddie could say anything else, he lifted up the alcohol and gestured to her shoulder. "This is going to sting like **hell**. I know I said that before, but... this is going to be so much worse than the ones on your face."

Eddie clenched her teeth and nodded, bracing herself. It did, in fact, sting like hell. It felt like pouring acid on a sunburn, and Eddie could feel the liquid oozing out of the wound. The pain was so bad she thought she may be sick, but the nausea went away, the pain leaving tears in its wake instead. Jamie leaned forward and pressed his lips to the back of Eddie's neck as the wound continued to burn. There was nothing sensual about it; in fact, Eddie found his lips on her neck to, in this instance, be one of the most comforting things in the world.

Before she even knew what she was doing, Eddie reached over and grabbed Jamie's free hand, squeezing his fingers as the pain finally started to subside. He squeezed back as tears fell from her eyes, whispering a comforting, "It's okay," in her ear. "You alright?" he asked finally when she loosened her grip on his hand. Eddie nodded wordlessly, wiping the tears from her face, and Jamie reluctantly let go of her hand. "Alright. I'm gonna cover it and then we'll get you into your bed."

The actual covering of the wound felt like nothing compared to the alcohol, and before Eddie knew it, Jamie was packing the bandage bag and rubbing soothing circles between her shoulder blades as Eddie shivered on the countertop.

Wordlessly, Jamie slung the bandage bag over his shoulder and put his other arm around Eddie, guiding her off the countertop and making sure she was steady on her feet before he led them down the hall.

Eddie wasn't sure her bed – or any bed – had ever looked so good. Her covers were still pulled back and the pillows were a bit askew, but the bed looked so warm and inviting that Eddie wasn't sure she'd ever want to leave it again.

Eddie's teeth chattered violently as Jamie led her over to the bed, one strong arm still around her waist. She situated herself under the covers, and Jamie retrieved the blankets from the living room. After both of the blankets were on, Eddie frankly felt like she might die from a heatstroke, but she said nothing. When Jamie returned with the heating pad and hooked it up, she was **sure** she would die from a heatstroke before the day was over.

As if reading her mind, Jamie said, "I know you're hot, but you're shivering, Eddie. That's how out-of-whack your body temperature is. Once it's regulated, you don't ever have to look at another heating pad or blanket again if you don't want to." He placed his and Eddie's phones on the nightstand, side by side, and climbed into the bed beside her. His weight beside her was comforting.

Before she could respond, Eddie let out a loud, long cough, making Jamie's hand jump to her shoulder in alarm. The cough was dry and barking, and it left Eddie's chest burning. "I'm okay," Eddie said when Jamie continued to stare at her, eyes wide with panic.

Jamie kept his hand on her shoulder and massaged it gently, eyeing her face closely. "Lay back," he said and his voice was so gentle that it melted her. She didn't have the heart or the energy to argue with him, so she melted back into the bed, her back against the pillow on her side.

Eddie waited for Jamie to lay down beside her, but he didn't; he just stayed there on the edge of the bed, looking her over worriedly. "Jamie, would **you** lay back? You're making me nervous. I'm okay, really. It's just a little cough."

Jamie shot her a skeptical look but did as he was instructed, laying in fully beside her, his back against the pillow on the other side – let's face it, it had become **his** side – of the bed, yanking the covers over himself and tucking them tighter around Eddie. "It's not just a _little cough_ , Eddie. You sound like a barking dog." Eddie shot him a look of death in response to the comparison, and he backed off. "I'm sorry. I'm just afraid you have pneumonia... Your lung could collapse again. I'm worried. So sue me."

Eddie couldn't help but smile a little at his, "so sue me," quip. "Well, we'll find out tomorrow. They'll check all that at my follow-up. I'll be okay." She fished out the remote and flicked the TV on, immediately finding the _Friends_ marathon they'd been watching in the living room. "Now let's watch this and try to forget about everything until Danny calls."

Jamie looked hesitant but left that particular subject alone. "Alright," he said on a sigh, adjusting the blankets around Eddie unnecessarily, making her smile to herself a little.

So that's what they did. They laid in Eddie's bed, Eddie tucked almost against Jamie's chest with the heating pad between them. Jamie's hand was on Eddie's back as _Friends_ played, rubbing small circles. Eddie tried her best to keep her teeth from chattering as shivers wracked her body, and she couldn't help but feel worried deep down that she was buried in blankets, tucked against Jamie with a heating pad on her belly but she was still shivering.

After about an hour laying there, the shivering seemed to calm finally, and Eddie felt herself beginning to drift off. Jamie had switched from his palm rubbing her back to his fingernails running up and down her spine, and that combined with the warmth eventually tipped her off into oblivion.

* * *

 **Jamie**

Two hours. It took two hours for Danny to call Jamie back.

When his cell phone rang, Jamie had been cradling Eddie to his chest, his fingers running up and down her back and her fast asleep. The shrill ringing of the phone didn't even cause Eddie to stir, but it nearly sent Jamie into a panic attack similar to the ones Eddie had been having.

He quickly silenced the phone so it didn't wake Eddie and, putting his hand on the back of her head, lowered her down onto the bed, slipping out from under the covers in the process with his phone in his hand. His heart pounding, he slipped out into the hallway quietly, even shutting Eddie's bedroom door.

Fingers shaking, Jamie pressed the "accept" button. "Danny? Did you get him?"

"No. No, kid, we didn't."

Five words and Jamie's stomach dropped to his knees. His back hit the wall of the hallway. His thoughts were scattered everywhere, but one was at the forefront: _Brian is still out there._ Once again, the thought of Brian out roaming the streets of New York, wounded – potentially fatally – and angry and ready to take Eddie and Jamie out once and for all.

It was easily half a minute before Jamie could speak, and when he did, his voice was quivering and so were his hands and he was terrified. "What happened, Danny? Just tell me."

Danny didn't miss a beat. "He stabbed Dal and left him for dead. We found him bleeding to death when we got there. Dammit, Jamie, we missed Brian by a **_minute_**."

Jamie swallowed what felt like a boulder in his throat and clenched his unoccupied hand at his side, trying not to smash it into the adjacent wall. "Is Dal... alive? God, please don't tell me he's dead, too, because-"

"No, kid, he's not dead," Danny interjected before Jamie could get too ahead of himself. Jamie let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and his heart slowed a fraction. "He's in ICU at St. Vic's in a medically-induced coma, but he's stable, and they think his brain will recover enough soon so they can bring him out of it. Brian is injured, and he's getting sloppy because of it. He haphazardly stabbed Dal just above his belly button, beat the shit out of him, slashed him on the arm, and ran. He knew somehow that Dal wanted to meet up with you and Eddie, probably figured that he was going to help you catch him, and-"

This time, it was Jamie who cut Danny off. "...and decided to try to prevent him from doing so," he finished, his hand clenching again. "You're right, though, he's obviously getting sloppy. A week ago, he would have just slashed Dal's throat and that would have been that."

Danny's voice wasn't the sound Jamie heard next. It was a loud, rattling, barking cough from Eddie's bedroom, and it quickly turned into a whole coughing fit. "Danny, hold on a sec," Jamie said into the phone, not waiting for a response before running – _literally_ running – back into the bedroom, where he found Eddie sitting on the edge of the bed, her torso bent over her knees, her whole body shaking with every cough. "Danny, I'm going to call you back in a minute, okay?"

Once again, Jamie didn't wait for a reply. He pressed the "end call" button, threw his phone on the bed, and moved to crouch down in front of Eddie. She surprised him by speaking before he could. "D-did they... Did they get him?" Eddie asked between coughs, her voice hoarse and her breathing shallow. She was wheezing and slumped, as if the coughing fit had taken everything – which wasn't much – out of her.

Jamie put his hands on Eddie's arms and pushed her gently from her slumped posture into something of a sitting position. "Shh," he hushed, reaching up with one hand to push an errant piece of hair away from her face. "Eddie, I'm not sure we should wait until your follow-up tomorrow. I don't like this cough." He studied her face closely. She looked pale, but otherwise okay, and her skin felt a bit warmer than before.

When Eddie spoke again, her voice was much louder and clearer. "I'm fine, Jamie. **Tell me**. Did they catch him?" A loud, rattling cough escaped when she finished her sentence, and Jamie could feel her body shake with the force of it. Eddie caught one look at his face and answered her own question. "They didn't. I can tell by the look on your face." To Jamie's horror, Eddie sucked her bottom lip into her mouth as if literally trying to stop a sob from coming out and her eyes filled with tears.

His heart shattered into pieces.

Shaking his head, Jamie stood from his crouched position and sat beside Eddie on the bed, wrapping an arm around her gently, trying to avoid her tender shoulder wound. She seemed to completely sag into him and tears were pouring down her face. Gently, Jamie turned her head towards him with a finger under her chin, using that same finger to wipe her tears away. "Please don't cry, Eddie. I hate it when you cry." Normally, Jamie wasn't one to be vulnerable and he wasn't good at expressing how things or people made him feel, but it was no secret that Eddie was one exception to that. It was also no secret that Jamie literally couldn't **stand** it when Eddie was even upset, let alone when she cried.

"Then tell me what's going on. Don't keep me in the dark," Eddie said, her voice rough and wavering.

Jamie pulled Eddie into his side, tucking her head against his shoulder. With a sigh, he gave in (didn't he always?). "Brian beat and stabbed Dal Cooper and left him for dead." Eddie panicked before Jamie could tell her that Dal was alive, inhaling sharply and subsequently going into a coughing fit. Jamie held her while she hacked and sputtered, ready to call 911 if he needed to. When she was finished for the moment, Jamie rubbed his hand up and down her back underneath her t-shirt, something that would have seemed so strange to him months ago that was now completely normal. It calmed her, so frankly, Jamie didn't care if it was weird or not. "You didn't let me finish. Dal is still alive, so you need to **_calm down_**."

Eddie's sunken, watery eyes widened and seemed to fill her entire face. "He's alive?"

Jamie nodded. "He is. He's in a medically-induced coma right now, but he's alive, and they think he'll recover enough to be brought out of the coma soon enough. Danny and Baez missed Brian by mere minutes, Eddie, and he's getting sloppy. They're going to catch him. It's only a matter of time, and until then, you're safe. I'm not going to let anything happen to you again. Okay?"

Eddie's head dropped to Jamie's shoulder, and Jamie's hand automatically came up to stroke her hair. His lips found the top of her head and he pressed a light kiss there before placing one more on the soft skin of her forehead. The two of them were silent for a few minutes before Eddie finally spoke. "I'm so tired of this, Jamie."

Jamie never thought that such a simple sentence, only six words, could ever have the power to cut straight through him, but Eddie's words in that moment did. Her voice was wavering, her chin was quivering, Jamie could feel her shaking against him, and tears were still streaming down her cheeks.

Unable to help himself, Jamie enveloped Eddie completely in his arms, and she buried her face in the space between Jamie's neck and shoulder. Feeling her warm tears on his skin, Jamie stroked her hair with one hand and rubbed her back underneath her t-shirt again with the other, feeling the knots of her spine under his calloused fingertips. Her crying seemed to escalate, and Jamie thought she was hyperventilating until she started to cough violently again, launching into another full-blown hacking fit.

Gently, Jamie sat Eddie to where she was more upright and rubbed her shoulders as she hacked, knowing there was literally nothing he could do at that moment. "You're alright, Eddie. Everything's okay," he said to her, rubbing circles between her shoulder blades. But if he was being honest with himself, everything was definitely **not** okay, but if the words gave Eddie any consolation at all, he would say them anyway.

No matter what.

* * *

When Eddie's coughing fits stopped and it became fairly clear that her body temperature was regulated, Jamie and Eddie crawled back under the covers, Eddie's tucked into Jamie's side, the heating pad no longer a barrier between them.

The thought crossed Jamie's mind that it almost felt like they were a couple. Then he remembered that, once Eddie's transfer paperwork was turned in, they could **actually** have a go at being just that (although if he were being honest, they were already acting like one anyway).

Eddie was wide awake, _Friends_ was playing still, and Eddie was chuckling at the TV, but Jamie was only staring at her. The cuts on her face looked okay, and even with her face covered in bandages and ointment and her hair back in a messy ponytail (locks of hair were falling out of the ponytail left and right), Jamie still was in awe of her beauty. She was the perfect distraction from everything that was going on, and even if for a few minutes, Jamie forgot about Brian and Dal and maybe, even just a tiny bit, about what had happened to Eddie.

But all of that was shattered and both Jamie and Eddie were brought back to reality by the ringing of Jamie's cell phone. Eddie's head snapped up and when her eyes met Jamie's, Jamie saw that they were full of complete, utter terror. He saw virtually no trace of the Eddie he knew and loved in her wide, haunted eyes, and he was determined in that moment – more than ever – to get that Eddie back.

Jamie grabbed his phone off the nightstand and hit the "accept" button with a shaky finger after seeing his brother's name flash on the screen, taking a deep but shuddering breath before answering. "Yeah?" he answered, absentmindedly running his hand through Eddie's hair to calm her as she stared at him wide-eyed.

"Jamie, Baez and I are outside Eddie's building. I need you both to pack a couple bags, **_now_** _._ "

Jamie's heart rate skyrocketed, and he tried his best to keep his face neutral so Eddie wouldn't panic, which was proving difficult. "Why? What's going on?" His own panic seeped into his voice, and he cursed himself, because Eddie started to shake against him. She knew something was wrong. She always did.

"We're taking you to a safe house. It's mandatory. We found something, and..."

"And **what**?" Jamie demanded when Danny trailed off.

"I'll explain it all when you get down here. Hurry. Pack a bag for you and Eddie, enough for a few nights, at least. Let's just say Brian had a plan B."

* * *

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please don't forget to leave a review!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's note: Hey, guys. First off, I can't write an apology long enough, but I WILL say this: it's been a crazy two months. We moved on December 16th, and my mind has been a jumbled, scrambled mess. I haven't been able to write anything, but in these last couple days, I got the motivation back to finish this chapter, and now I'll be back to much more regular updates. I'm so very sorry, and I hope you all understand that the depression from the move has been unreal.**

 **Anyway, my muse is back, so if you have any prompts (Blue Bloods or Pretty Little Liars ONLY), please message/e-mail them to me, or leave them in a review. Let me know what you guys think! Next chapter is Eddie's appointment, more Damian and Brian insanity, and more romance from Jamko, so stay tuned. :)**

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Three**

 **Eddie**

One minute she was watching _Friends_ , tucked into Jamie's side, chuckling at the TV and feeling far better than she had when they'd stumbled in the door hours earlier.

The next, Eddie was packing a bag to leave home – again – and head for a safe house, in a race to save hers and Jamie's lives. _Again_.

Bottom line? She was sick and fucking tired of it. She was tired of the constant terror, the fear of Brian coming back and finishing her and Jamie off once and for all, the flashes in her head of all the terrible things Brian had done already, in addition to what he would do if he got ahold of her again.

Eddie was tired of all of it.

At first, after Jamie got off the phone, he wasn't telling her anything verbally, but his facial expression was telling her all she needed to know: Jamie was terrified. One look at his face and Eddie started to shake violently, and not from the cold this time. She was certain that had she been wearing a heart monitor, it would be going wild.

"Jamie, what the hell is going on?" Eddie demanded, her voice sounding as weak and shaky as she felt. She watched as Jamie began unplugging Eddie's phone and their chargers, thrusting Eddie's phone into her hand and winding the chargers up. "What are you doing?"

Jamie put the chargers down on the bed and crouched down in front of Eddie, his eyes wide and wild. "That was Danny. They're moving us to a safe house. It's become mandatory... Apparently, Brian had a plan B in case this one failed. Danny and Baez are waiting for us downstairs and will fill us in on the ride there."

With those words, Eddie's breathing quickened and quickened and quickened until she was hyperventilating, and Jamie cupped her face in his hands. "Eddie, I need you to calm down. It's going to be okay. I need you to calm down and breathe. I'll pack you a bag. Slow your breathing or you'll pass out." His thumbs rubbed her cheekbones, something she found to be bizarrely calming.

But not calming enough. Her breathing remained extremely shallow – though not as shallow as before – and she felt like her heart rate was in the 200s. Jamie shocked her by kissing her cheek and then pulling her to him for a hug, and though it was a hurried one, it helped her tremendously. Even when his arms were no longer around her, she felt much calmer, not like she was going to pass out or have a heart attack (although her heart was fluttering the tiniest bit from Jamie's lips on her cheek, even in these terrifying circumstances).

As Jamie ran – _literally_ ran – into the bathroom with a duffel bag from Eddie's closet, Eddie managed to compose herself enough to gather things together that she wanted to take. She took an extra cell phone charger she kept in her bedside drawer as well as extra cash that was wadded up behind the drawer itself, stuffing both into her purse, which she slung over her arm as she went around the room on shaky legs.

Jamie returned with the duffel bag, his eyes wild. Eddie could tell he was desperately trying to keep the panic off his face this time, and while she appreciated his efforts, it wasn't working. His eyes were no longer wide and wild, and his face was relatively neutral, but his hands were shaking as he handed her the duffel bag. "I need you to see if there's anything not in this bag toiletry-wise that you want to bring. We can always get things at the drugstore that you don't want to pack. I'll let you pack your clothes since I don't know what you want, or if you want me to do it, that's okay, too."

Eddie shook her head, taking the duffel bag with a hand that was shaking as much as Jamie's. "I can do it. I need to do something," she said firmly, trying her best to keep her voice from wavering.

Before packing anything else, Eddie looked over the things that were already in the bag, which turned out to be Eddie's makeup bag, her bag of medications, the mini first aid kit she kept in the bathroom cabinet, and their phone chargers. She needed tampons, but she knew they could get those at the drug store, so she decided not to say anything.

As Jamie gathered all of his things and grabbed Eddie's bandage bag, Eddie stuffed the duffel with underwear, jeans, anything she might need for work – wishful thinking, perhaps – her favorite pairs of sweats, practically every t-shirt she owned (literally all she'd worn the last few weeks), and a few sports bras. Before she could consider throwing anything else in there, she pulled the zipper closed and threw the bag on the floor, watching as Jamie finished getting everything he deemed necessary.

"You ready?" Jamie asked, and Eddie wanted to laugh, because it wasn't like it mattered if she were ready or not.

So she merely nodded, pressing her lips into a thin line. She didn't need to tell Jamie that she was terrified. He knew, because he was terrified, too. "Let's go," she said, her voice shaking far more than she liked.

Jamie picked up her duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder, leaning in to kiss her forehead as he did so, effectively stopping her from arguing that _she_ should be the one to carry her bag. He knew her far too well, and Eddie didn't see that as a bad thing.

Jamie armed the alarm system — almost by muscle memory — and pulled Eddie out of the apartment by the hand, his warm fingers wrapping perfectly around hers.

The stairs were awful, to say the least. Jamie forced her to stop twice when she began to wheeze, and while she would never say it aloud, Eddie had to say that her chest felt an awful lot like it had when she'd gotten pneumonia three years before and been down for the count for two weeks. She tried her best to keep the worry and exhaustion out of her expression as they walked the last few steps, but she gave that up when she saw what it looked like outside.

The snow was ten times worse than Eddie had realized, and by the look on Jamie's face, he hadn't known the extent, either. The sidewalk, streets, trees, and all the cars had been covered completely, and it was still falling. The sidewalk looked like a massive patch of ice.

"Shit," Jamie mumbled, scrubbing a hand over his face and pinching the bridge of his nose as he turned towards Eddie. He reached that same hand up and pulled Eddie's coat hood up over her head. "I want you to cover your mouth when we walk outside and keep your head down until we get to Danny's car. He's parked right across the street." When Eddie rolled her eyes, Jamie gave her a look and said, "Just do it. You can be mouthy about it later."

That earned Jamie another eye roll but she did what he said, hardly having the energy to argue anymore. She tucked her face down into her coat and pulled her hood as far over her eyes and nose as she could, hardly leaving any of her face exposed.

Jamie opened the exit door and gave her a look with raised eyebrows, silently asking if she was ready. Eddie nodded and Jamie wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her as close into his side as she possibly could be. Frankly, it was the only place she felt safe anymore. Really, she'd always felt safe with Jamie, but now that extended far beyond the RMP and the streets.

Danny and Baez were waiting in the only empty space along the street, and Eddie cursed the fact that there seemed to be ice everywhere, meaning Jamie had to do what he'd done at the Reagan family dinner last week and practically lift her over the ice. She would never admit it, but she found it cute, and by the tiny smile on Baez's face when Jamie opened the rear driver's side door, she wasn't the only one.

Danny's face, however, was tight and pinched up. Dread and panic filled Eddie's stomach, and her breathing quickened enough that Jamie could hear it. He reached his hand up to the back of her neck, stroking the only exposed skin he could find. His eyes met hers, and hers were obviously filled with all the emotions she was feeling, because Jamie whispered, "It's okay. Just breathe." He said it only loudly enough for Eddie to hear, but it had all the power in the world over her.

Finally, before she could chicken out, Eddie shakily asked, "So how bad is it?"

Danny sighed deeply as he shifted the car into Drive and pulled out of the parking spot. Baez was now stone-faced as well, and Eddie knew right then that things were grim. It was bad… and Danny's next words confirmed it.

"Long story short: Brian had a plan for exactly the scenario he's in now."

Suddenly, Eddie felt like there was a rock in her throat, and Jamie was looking at her as she tried to swallow around it and process what Danny had just said. When she finally found her voice, it was raspy and weak and reflected the terror she was feeling. "What do you mean? What kind of plan?"

Danny sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. _It's bad_ , Eddie thought, bracing herself. "Brian's friends with a guy in that shitty apartment complex he'd been crashing at. Guy's name is Damian. He's got multiple possession charges, did time for armed robbery, and here's the kicker… he was the number one suspect in a murder in 2012. You might remember it. Danielle Lawrence, age 20, beaten, tortured, and stabbed to death in her apartment in Queens."

Before Eddie could even entirely process all the information Danny had just rattled off, Jamie was speaking. "If he was the number one suspect, how the hell is he not in prison?"

"Jamie, Brian alibied him."

Jamie's gaze shot straight to Eddie's, and she must have looked as terrified as she felt, because he immediately pulled her head down to the space between his neck and shoulder, his fingers weaving through her hair. It baffled her the way he always knew exactly how to comfort her without her having to say a single word.

Jamie bent his head down to press his lips to Eddie's forehead. "You're okay," he whispered against her skin as her breathing quickened. "Danny, let's go." Eddie saw Jamie motion to Danny with his free hand, and before Eddie knew it the car was moving.

The entire ride to the safe house, Eddie was mulling over the whole Damian thing in her head. She could feel Jamie's fingers on the skin of her lower back, but this time, even the skin-to-skin contact that normally calmed her wasn't enough. She was too deep inside her head, horrified by the thought of Damian slaughtering an innocent twenty-year-old and Brian alibiing him out.

And now Damian was after her, presumably waiting in the shadows along with Brian.

Panic was sitting like a lump of clay in Eddie's throat, and she said not a single word the entire ride. Jamie asked her if she was alright, and she merely shook her head, unable to even explain what she was feeling. She was physically intact, but mentally, what was left of her was falling apart, and Jamie knew it.

Frankly, Eddie observed absolutely nothing about the safe house besides that it was small and painted a pale yellow that stood out to her. She had been in such a fog that she hardly remembered the ride, only observing that it took roughly thirty minutes, and that Jamie had his fingers on her skin the entire time, be it the back of her neck or her wrist. She was buried deep inside her head, and as usual, Jamie seemed to be the only one to break through her fog.

Suddenly, the door on Eddie's side opened and she was yanked back to reality, also known as her own version of hell. Danny held the door open for her as she sluggishly climbed out and tried in vain to suppress a cough. The cough that came out was loud and barking and it hurt her chest, and she didn't miss the look that Danny shot Jamie after he climbed out behind Eddie.

"Get Eddie inside, Jamie. Baez and I will get your things," Danny told his brother, giving Eddie a surprising pat on the shoulder with a sympathetic look on his face.

Jamie nodded and wrapped his arm around Eddie's shoulders, and she huddled voluntarily into his side, ducking her face down against the brutally cold wind. "You alright?" Jamie asked, pressing his lips against Eddie's temple. It felt like he asked her that a thousand times a day, and with good reason, but she wished he didn't have to. It was one of the million things she felt guilty about.

Eddie said nothing, mainly because she could barely open her mouth without coughing. Jamie didn't ask what was wrong, because he already knew. He just squeezed her with the arm that was around her waist.

The safe house porch had three unfortunately placed steps that were now covered with ice, and once again, Jamie tightened the arm that was wrapped around Eddie's waist and lifted her up until their feet were planted firmly on the porch, which fortunately wasn't ice-covered.

Jamie unlocked the house as Eddie studied the safe house as if seeing it for the first time. It was, as she'd observed before, quite small, but it seemed to be off the beaten path but in a decent neighborhood, surrounded by only a few other houses that looked nearly identical.

Eddie followed Jamie inside with Danny and Baez right behind her. The inside of the house was nice and warm, and Eddie immediately felt better as the heat bore down on her. From the front door, the house immediately opened into a sparsely-furnished living room, and straight ahead to the right seemed to be a kitchen as far as Eddie could tell. The walls were painted an off-white, cream-like color, and Eddie found it to be rather soothing considering it was the place they were hiding in to keep from being murdered.

Eddie tried not to think about how drastically their lives had changed, but it was difficult. Not long ago, her and Jamie had been working and coming home to their respective apartments, thinking they were safe and sound. Now, Jamie was working still and Eddie wasn't and they were hiding in a damn safe house from her ex-boyfriend and someone responsible for torturing and killing someone.

Not thinking about that how much things had fallen apart was damn near impossible.

"Alright, kids," Danny said, pulling Eddie out of her potentially self-destructive thoughts. "You'll have two units parked along this street at all times. You'll have a unit to take you where you need to go until the Mustang is done, and even then you'll have one tailing you, but don't leave unless you absolutely have to. Baez and I can bring you groceries and whatever else you need. Just don't leave unless you have no choice."

"So basically, Brian and Damian are winning." The words flew out of Eddie's mouth before she even fully knew what she was saying. "They're fucking winning, because we're hiding away and not living what's left of our lives." Her pitch rose with every word, and by the end, she had tears in her eyes and her voice was nearly hysterical, and a horrible rattling cough escaped to top it all off.

Jamie reached over and once again put his fingers on the back of her neck, running his calloused fingertips up and down the soft skin there and leaving chill bumps behind. "Eddie, breathe. Calm down," he whispered, now bringing his hand up to stroke her hair.

Before Eddie could say another word, another cough escaped her, wracking her entire body. The three other sets of eyes in the room widened, Danny and Baez's with mild concern and Jamie's with a terror that Eddie was sick and tired of seeing.

Jamie put his arm around Eddie's shoulders and steered her over to the brown sofa in the middle of the living room, his arm remaining around her even once they were seated. Eddie's coughing continued and the edges of her vision started to gray. _What a disaster_ , she thought as she realized that she was having an anxiety attack in the middle of an intense coughing fit.

Eddie's upper body slumped forward, her elbows ending up on her knees. She could feel Jamie's hands on her back, his fingers finding their way to the strip of bare skin at the bottom of her t-shirt. She could hear voices — Jamie's, Danny's, Baez's — but they were muffled and garbled, as though she had her hands clamped tightly over her ears.

Even after the coughing fit ended, Eddie was gasping for breath, this time because she was in a full-blown panic attack and she was sure Jamie was probably telling her everything was alright and to just breathe, but everything was the opposite of alright and she couldn't fucking breathe and she was sure her heart rate had to be in the 200s.

What Jamie did next is what eventually brought Eddie back to reality (because it was always him who brought her back to reality anymore, wasn't it?).

He said something to either Danny or Baez or both, and then, he wrapped both arms securely around her and hauled her to his chest, much like he had the day they visited Dr. Ackerman in the hospital. One hand was rubbing her back, the other holding her head to his chest, running his fingers gently through her tangled blonde locks.

Slowly — very slowly — Eddie started to come back. The pounding in her ears quieted a bit, her pulse slowed, and she could just barely make out what Jamie was whispering to her. "Breathe, Eddie. You're safe. I'm right here. I'm not going to let anybody hurt you." He pressed his lips to the top of her head, her temple, and the top of her head again.

As Eddie slowly came back, she realized that her arms were wrapped almost painfully tight around Jamie and she was clinging to him like he was her lifeline (he was). "I'm sorry."

The words were whispered. It was all Eddie was capable of at first. Jamie bent his head down and whispered, lips against her forehead, "What was that, sweetheart?"

"I'm sorry." It was still weak-sounding, but it was loud enough for Jamie to hear her this time. She took another breath and continued, "I'm so sorry."

Jamie sat Eddie upright, his arms still around her but only enough to hold her up. He looked her square in the eyes, and even though her vision was still a bit muddled, she could see the intensity and emotion in his beautiful eyes and it nearly knocked the little breath she had left right out of her. "Eddie, you have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. If anybody should be sorry, it's me."

Eddie's knee-jerk reaction was to chuckle incredulously, and that's exactly what she did. "Why in the hell would you be sorry, Reagan?" she mumbled.

"We've been through this before, Eddie." Jamie's words weren't filled with the irritation the words themselves implied. They were gentle and lined up perfectly with the softness in his face and in the fingers that were brushing gently across her left cheekbone now. "I wasn't there to protect you. I'm your partner and I wasn't there."

Before Eddie could say anything else, Baez was beside her with a glass of water, and she reached out for it with shaky hands. Her throat was sore, like she'd been screaming for weeks, and she drank the water down like she'd had nothing to drink in months. The frigidity of the water soothed her raw throat, but it couldn't wash away the lump that seemed to be permanently lodged there.

Eddie handed the empty glass back to Baez, who was watching her closely, as were Danny and Jamie. She sniffled and pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to get even a minuscule amount of rationality back. Frankly, she felt like complete rationality was out of reach forever at this point.

"Are you alright?" Jamie asked, putting his hand on top of hers.

Eddie shrugged her shoulders and decided to avoid that question. She was tired of it. "So what are we gonna do about my doctor's appointment tomorrow?"

Danny cleared his throat, looking from Baez to Jamie and then back to Eddie. "Baez and I will be able to drive you guys, no problem. We'll make sure you get where you need to go until the Mustang is ready."

Eddie couldn't say much, instead only nodding and resting her throbbing head on Jamie's shoulder. He brought one of his hands up and ran his fingers absentmindedly through her hair. Jamie leaned down and whispered, "Do you want to go lie down for a bit? Maybe just an hour or so?"

Honestly, nothing sounded better. Eddie's chest felt like it was on fire and her head felt like it weighed a hundred pounds on its own. The fear and anxiety of the past few weeks were weighing her down; she could feel it and she could even see it when she looked in the mirror.

Defeated, knowing she was run completely ragged, Eddie nodded in agreement. "I guess. Just an hour, though."

There was literally no conviction behind Eddie's words, but Jamie played along and stood up off the couch, gently pulling her with him. She swayed on her feet, and Jamie's hands steadied her (didn't they always?). "Hey, you alright?" he asked, looking at Danny and Baez quickly before turning back to her.

Eddie closed her eyes and nodded, lips pursed tightly. "I'm fine. Just a little dizzy." Before Jamie could say anything else, Eddie turned to Danny and Baez with the biggest smile she could manage and said, "Thank you for everything. I'm sorry it had to come to this… I'm sorry I'm a pain in the ass and refused the safe house for so long."

Both Danny and Baez cracked a smile, and Danny even chuckled a little. He reached over and gave Eddie a quick pat on the back. "We wouldn't have you any other way, Janko."

Eddie cracked a genuine smile, and Jamie was smiling, too, as he led her to what would be her safe place to land for who knew how long. Even as she laid down on the surprisingly comfy bed, with Jamie taking a seat on the edge and stroking her hair, that lump of anxiety and unadulterated fear was still lodged in her throat.

It was only as Jamie pressed his lips to her temple and said, "You're safe, Eddie," that Eddie closed her burning eyes and gave into her exhaustion.

* * *

 **Jamie**

Jamie stayed with Eddie until he was positive she was sound asleep. He'd sat beside her and stroked her hair, waiting until her breathing evened completely out. Every now and then, he heard her wheeze, and his concern for her safety just kept increasing.

When Jamie returned to the living room after putting Eddie's toiletries and medication in the bathroom that was just off the bedroom, Danny and Baez were on the couch, talking in hushed voices, and they got to their feet when Jamie entered the room.

"What's going on?" Jamie whispered, terrified to wake Eddie. "Are there any updates?"

Danny sighed, as he always did before he delivered news — and usually not the good kind. Jamie braced himself as best as he could as Danny tucked his cell phone back into his pocket and looked Jamie dead in the face. "Damian is long gone from that dump of an apartment complex. All his crap is still there, though, so Brian must have sprung this plan on him in a hurry."

"Brian knows he's running out of time. Do you have a statewide BOLO out on him and Damian? Just in case Brian goes to a hospital counties away, thinking nobody there will recognize him?"

The questions flew out of Jamie's mouth unchecked. Emotions were overtaking him. He was happy that he and Eddie were safe — for now — but he was terrified that there wasn't just one psycho roaming the streets, ready to take him and Eddie out, but two, and that both of them had killed before. But most of all, he was exhausted. Mentally and physically exhausted.

"You bet your ass we do," Baez assured him. "We're going to head back to the precinct and do some more digging. Meanwhile, you have units outside, and Danny and I can bring you and Eddie groceries. Just text us a list of what you and Eddie want and we'll make it happen."

Danny nodded in agreement as he led Baez towards the door. "And for the love of God, Jamie, get some rest. I know it's hard, but you and Eddie are safe right now. And when they bring Dal out of that coma, he's going to put the final nail in Brian's coffin. Everything's going to turn out alright."

Jamie slapped his brother on the back, feeling more reassured than he expected by Danny's words. After Jamie thanked them profusely and promised that he and Eddie would at least try to rest, they were gone, and Jamie locked the door up tight behind them.

For a moment or two, Jamie just stood in the middle of the living room, hands in his pockets. The silence in the house was deafening, but so were his thoughts. He hoped like hell that Eddie was sleeping soundly, and when he finally shut the lights in the living room off and returned to that back bedroom, he was relieved to find that she was.

Jamie kicked off his shoes and closed and locked the bedroom door — his paranoia got the best of him again — before tip-toeing over to the bed. He tried his damnedest to climb into bed without waking Eddie, but much to his dismay, she jerked awake, eyes wide. "Jamie, what… ?"

Jamie situated himself onto his side and pulled Eddie to his chest, one hand on her lower back and the other cupping her head. "Shh, it's okay," he soothed, his lips finding her temple in the darkness of the room. They lingered on her soft skin for a minute, her scent soothing him as well. "You're safe."

"Is everything alright?" Eddie asked sleepily, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck, which seemed to be her favorite spot when he was holding her.

"It will be, Eddie," Jamie replied, closing his eyes and pulling the comforter over the both of them. "Everything _will_ be alright, I promise. Go to sleep. You're safe."

Eddie nodded and Jamie could feel her smiling against his skin. He was pretty sure she was back to sleep within about ten seconds, and suddenly, even in the darkness and the silence surrounding them, he wasn't thinking about Eddie's doctor's appointment in the morning or the fact that they weren't in a place either of them considered home or that they were both starving or that Brian and Damian were still at large.

All that mattered to Jamie in that moment was that they were in a house, with units parked outside, and Eddie was safely in his arms.

That was enough, and within minutes, Jamie had joined Eddie in sleep.

* * *

 **Damian**

Damian's nerves were a wreck and his anxiety was at an all-time high, so when the burner phone rang at around 9:30 p.m., he snatched it up before the first ring was finished.

"Bri?" he answered, his voice taut. Brian didn't know that Dal Cooper had survived, and Damian wasn't looking forward to breaking the news.

"They're gone. They've obviously been taken somewhere, probably by that asshole Reagan detective, but the plan is still on." Brian sounded furious and ragged, and frankly, Damian wondered how he was still alive.

"Well, guess what, Bri?" Damian said, anger seeping into his tone. He was speaking through gritted teeth. "Dal Cooper isn't fucking dead. He lived, and he's in the ICU. I picked it up on the police scanner frequency. You screwed up."

Damian heard a loud yell, a frustration-filled, raging yell, and it sounded like Brian punched something on the other end of the line. "Meet me at the motel on 55th. Room 110. We're going to fix this, end of story."

Before Damian could say anything else, Brian disconnected the call. As Damian gathered every item he'd managed to leave his apartment with, he couldn't help but think that, in the end, it wasn't going to just be Jamie and Eddie dead.

His gut was telling him that none of them were going to make it out alive.


	24. Chapter 24

**Author's note: Holy shit. Hi, you guys. I'm going to skip the apologies, because you guys know I'm always sorry when I take forever to update. I've been working super hard in school, and in 12 days, I'm DONE for two months. I have straight As, so for my reward, I went to Dallas and met Keegan Allen (if you watch Pretty Little Liars, you know who he is), and I wrote some of this while here. I also wrote a lot of it while exhausted after school, so I hope it makes sense. P.S., the medical stuff in this chapter is what happened to me when I had a TBI, so if the procedure is different other places, I apologize. That's just how it's done here. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, and PLEASE send me prompts! I write for Jamko and Spoby.**

 **P.P.S., let me know your thoughts on the last few episodes Jamko were in, and also let me know what you think the finale holds for them. Love you guys.**

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Four**

 **Jamie**

When Jamie awoke, he was immediately aware of where he was, and who the warm body was beside him.

Sure enough, when he opened his eyes, Eddie was still wrapped in his arms, her back against his chest now. Thankfully, she was sound asleep still. It was like he was constantly aware of her presence now, even when he'd just woken up.

When Jamie turned to the left with his eyes towards the window, he was shocked to see a tiny bit of sunshine peeking in through the curtains, something he felt the city hadn't seen for days. He rubbed his eyes with one hand and picked up his cell phone on the little table next to the bed, relieved when the clock said it was only 7:34 a.m. They had nearly two and a half hours until Eddie's appointment at 10:00, meaning Jamie had at least an hour before he had to wake Eddie up (although she would probably wake up on her own and want food).

His phone in his hand, Jamie rolled back over and pulled Eddie even closer to his chest, his arm looped around her middle and her head nestled in the crook of his shoulder. She sighed in her sleep but didn't wake. She looked peaceful, something Jamie so rarely saw in her anymore, especially when she was asleep. Usually, her eyelids were fluttering and she was twitching and moving around, as if the monsters that had terrorized her while she was awake were haunting her sleep, too. Now, she looked peaceful and calm, and Jamie wanted it to last forever.

Awkwardly, Jamie bent his right arm so that he could look at his phone, leaving his left around Eddie in case she woke up and panicked, thinking he wasn't there. He had a text message from Danny that had come in at 6:56 a.m.: _Dal still in the coma. Baez and I will be there at 8:30 with breakfast and coffee and drive you to Janko's appointment._

Jamie responded with a thank you and returned his phone to the bedside table, turning back over and getting comfortable again. Normally, he wouldn't say laying with a woman with his arm flopped over her middle and the other under her head was comfortable, but somehow, it was with Eddie. Everything was different with Eddie, it seemed. Ten minutes passed. Then fifteen. Jamie was about to fall back to sleep himself — he knew damn well Danny would give him a hell of a wake-up call if needed — when Eddie's breathing quickened, the accelerated breaths accompanied by that damn wheezing sound that worried the hell out of him. Her body was beginning to shake, and her face was changing from peaceful to panicked. How she could go from so calm and at peace to terrified, Jamie couldn't possibly understand. All he knew was he fucking hated it.

He hated to wake her, so Jamie decided to try something different. He looped both his arms around her and turned her over so that she was flush against his chest. His hands immediately came up to stroke her hair as her head, even in sleep, somehow found its favorite spot in his neck, her nose against the column of his throat. "It's okay, Eddie. I'm here and you're safe," he whispered, his lips on her temple. He wasn't entirely sure she could hear him, but he said it anyway, just in case. Maybe things weren't okay, but he _was_ there, and she _was_ safe.

Jamie felt relief wash over him when, after a few minutes of him stroking Eddie's hair and whispering to her, her breathing slowed and, even though she was still shaking a bit, she didn't appear to be on the verge of waking up screaming. He was sure the shaking would cease soon; her body would catch up with her mind in realizing that she safe.

He stayed awake for about fifteen more minutes, watching Eddie closely, and when she remained sound asleep and relatively peaceful-looking, Jamie tucked her closer to him one more time and allowed himself to doze off again.

When Jamie awoke again, somebody was knocking on the front door — obviously Danny — but that wasn't what woke him. What woke him was Eddie's reaction to the knocking. She was already sat halfway up, breathing heavy, her body so tense it felt like it was about to snap like a rubber band. She was stark-white, her blue eyes were wide as saucers, and she was holding onto Jamie like he was her lifeline.

Immediately, Jamie went into action, even though his own heart was breaking a little bit more, as it always did when he saw Eddie terrified and so unbelievably unlike the Eddie he knew.

"Hey, hey, hey," Jamie said, clutching Eddie tightly to his chest, one hand on her back and one cradling her head. He held her as tightly as she was holding him, and he could feel that she was shaking violently once again. "Eddie, it's okay. It's just Danny and Baez. It's alright. Take a breath."

His words did nothing; not immediately, anyway. She just held onto him tighter, her face in his neck and her chest heaving against his. "I don't… I can't-" She couldn't seem to get the words out, her panic literally stifling her.

"Shhhh," Jamie whispered, his lips pressed to the soft skin of her forehead. "Don't try to talk. Calm down. You're alright. We're in the safe house and you're alright. It's just you and I, and Danny and Baez are outside." Jamie ran his calloused fingertips over the exposed skin just above Eddie's tailbone, the skin-on-skin contact clearly becoming his key comfort tactic.

It took a few minutes for Eddie to calm — as it always did — but when she did, she pulled her face back far enough for Jamie to see that she was crying. "I just… I t-thought he was here. When I heard it, I thought…" She trailed off, shaking her head. It was obvious that she was frustrated with herself, and Jamie hated it.

Jamie swiped the tears off Eddie's cheeks with his thumb and kissed her forehead. "You don't have to explain. I won't let anybody hurt you again." Jamie's thumb stroked across her right cheekbone, and he gave her a reassuring smile. The sunlight was hitting her beautiful blue eyes just right, and it took Jamie's breath away. "You ready to go out there? There's food."

Eddie returned his smile, hers full of gratitude and that other emotion he could never identify. "Yeah, let's go," she said, swiping her hand across her face to wipe any remaining tears. "I'm starving. What's new."

Jamie couldn't help but smile, because the real Eddie, his Eddie, was so obviously there, hungry and sarcastic as ever. "Well, I'm sure they brought enough food to feed an army," Jamie said with a chuckle as him and Eddie climbed out of the bed. It was only as Jamie pulled a clean t-shirt on that he noticed Eddie shivering, her arms wrapped tight around her torso. This concerned him because the heat in the house was cranked way up.

Eddie caught him eyeing her with concern, and she opted to feign ignorance. "What's your jam, Reagan?"

"Are you cold?" he asked her, choosing to ignore the mock ignorance and undeniable attitude in her voice.

Eddie looked at him for a second, lips pursed, and then apparently realized she couldn't lie to him. Not anymore. He knew her too well, and she knew it. "Yes. I'm freezing, actually. I can't get warm," she said, sounding slightly irritated but also looking a bit concerned herself. "Happy?"

Somehow, Jamie fought the urge to roll his eyes. Even freezing cold and stressed to the max, Eddie was still giving him lip. "No, smartass, I'm not happy. I'm worried. If you don't bring up your coughing and the chills to the doctor today, I will. I'm just saying."

To Jamie's shock, Eddie merely rolled her eyes and didn't verbally argue, although he was positive she was probably cursing him out in her head and would have a few smartass things to say to him later.

Following Eddie out of the bedroom and into the living room area, Jamie pushed Eddie behind him and looked out the peephole in the door to be sure it was actually Danny and Baez (nothing seemed implausible or unlikely anymore). When he opened the door, Danny and Baez stepped right inside, both with two coffees in hand and two bags from the coffee shop that was a few blocks from the 54th Precinct. Eddie adored their cinnamon rolls and, at one point, Jamie had watched her stuff two into her face and still want a third. The memory made him smile.

"How you doin', kids?" Danny asked, handing Eddie and Jamie a coffee each and heading into the immaculate kitchen, where he dumped the bags on the counter. Sure enough, there were four cinnamon rolls, wrapped in saran wrap, as well as two blueberry muffins.

Eddie's eyes went huge, and she nearly choked on the coffee she was already sipping. "I'm friggin' great, if one of those cinnamon rolls are for me," she said, reaching out with her unoccupied hand and, after Danny gave her an amused nod of approval, snatched one up, smiling like a kid in a candy store.

"Well, you're friggin' great then, because two of them are for you," Danny said, handing her the other wrapped cinnamon roll and smiling at Jamie, who was staring at Eddie as she shoveled layers of the cinnamon roll into her mouth.

"Thanks," she mumbled, chasing an insanely large bite with a massive gulp of coffee, which was somehow still scalding hot. Jamie could still feel the heat radiating from his cup.

"Yeah, burn your mouth off, Janko," Jamie said, rolling his eyes good-naturedly and giving her shoulder a squeeze as he took a scalding sip of his own coffee.

"Don't you worry about what I do with my mouth, Reagan," Eddie retorted with a wry smile. She chuckled from behind her coffee cup as Jamie choked on his coffee.

Was she _trying_ to kill him? "Jeez, Eddie," he muttered, shooting her a warning glance. They were standing in a safe house with Danny and Baez, with two psychos out for their blood, and still, Eddie was somehow managing to turn him on with a few words. _This is pathetic_ , he thought, attempting — unsuccessfully — to recover from her remark in time to shoot something witty back at her.

When Jamie's gaze found Danny's, his face turned red as he took in the fact that Danny was stifling a chuckle behind his coffee cup. Baez was grinning from ear to ear, upping the awkward by about ten notches.

Before Jamie had even recovered completely from Eddie's innuendo, Eddie said, "Okay, I'm gonna go stuff my face on the couch until it's time to go." Eddie jabbed Jamie in the shoulder with her elbow before turning on her heel and padding over to the living room, her bare feet slapping the wood floor. Before Jamie could even register what had just happened, Eddie was already plopped down on the sofa, the TV on, cramming bites of one of the cinnamon rolls into her mouth.

When Jamie turned back to Danny and Baez, Danny was full-blown laughing behind his coffee. Baez was clearly struggling _not_ to laugh, but she wasn't doing a very good job. Jamie's brain still felt like mush, or he would have defended himself. "Look how red he is, Baez," Danny said, still laughing, nudging Baez with his shoulder and gesturing towards Jamie.

"Would you two shut the hell up?" Jamie said with a laugh of his own, unwrapping his own cinnamon roll and trying to gather his composure. "So, is there anything from Damian? Brian? _Anything_?"

All traces of a smile drained from Danny's face, and him and Baez exchanged what Jamie now referred to as "the look." Danny's lips pressed into a grim line, another one of his tells. "Nothing. It's almost as unsettling as something. Always seems like they're planning something."

Jamie waited for Danny to say something else, and when he didn't, Jamie looked over at Eddie, who was zoned out over whatever was on the TV. It was the most relaxed he'd seen her in weeks besides when she was asleep — sometimes not even then — and he refused to shatter it. So he turned back to Danny and Baez, shaking his head. "I'm worried as hell about her," he said, jabbing his thumb towards Eddie. "Even _she's_ worried about her."

Danny's forehead somehow got even more creased with worry. "Mentally or physically?" he asked, taking a sip of his coffee and eyeing Eddie over Jamie's shoulder.

"Both. Her cough is awful, she was shivering this morning when we woke up, and I can tell she has a hard time breathing. I'm afraid her shoulder wound is infected…" Jamie was rattling his concerns off unchecked, trying his best not to raise his voice to the point Eddie could hear him. "I really could go on all day."

Danny patted his brother on the back, both his and Baez's faces full of sympathy. "What about mentally? What's been going on?"

Jamie knew they were in deep shit when he realized he didn't know where to start on explaining all of the crap that Eddie was suffering through mentally because of all of this. "She goes from sleeping completely peacefully to thrashing and crying. This morning, she was in my arms asleep, and one minute she looked as calm as I've seen her in weeks, but the next, she was whimpering and crying. I calmed her down without waking her up, but then, when you guys knocked on the door, she woke up immediately and was breathing so hard I thought she was about to pass out." His voice rose in volume with every word. He was struggling hard to keep himself in check.

"She'll be alright, Jamie," Baez said, smiling empathetically at him. She looked like she truly believed it, and that comforted Jamie a tiny bit. "I'm not going to lie and say that the minute we catch Brian and Damian, Eddie will be back to normal, but she'll be a lot closer than she is now."

Jamie knew she had a point. Plus, he was comforted by the fact that Danny and Baez weren't known to sugar coat anything, ever, so if they really thought Eddie would never be okay again, they wouldn't be consoling him with promises that she would.

"Thank you both so much," Jamie said, his voice filled with a level of emotion that took even him by surprise. "We wouldn't have been able to survive these last few weeks without you guys. Literally." He moved his gaze over to Eddie, who was still engrossed in whatever was on the TV and sipping at her coffee. Before Danny or Baez could say anything in response, Jamie's phone alarm for Eddie's appointment went off, a loud trilling noise that scared Eddie so badly she nearly jumped off the couch. Her hand — thankfully the one that wasn't holding her coffee — went to her chest, and her mood shifted dramatically.

Jamie immediately walked the three feet over to her and put his hand on her shoulder, massaging her knotted muscles. "I'm sorry. It's just your appointment reminder. You okay?" His hand made its way up to stroke her hair, and even with his fingers barely touching her, he could feel that she was shaking.

Even though he wouldn't say it, it killed Jamie that something as simple as a phone alarm could scare the toughest, wittiest, bravest woman he'd ever known to the point that she was trembling against his fingers.

Eddie nodded and took another sip of her coffee as Jamie's fingers snaked under her hair to the back of her neck, where his fingertips stroked the skin there. Danny and Baez were looking at them, and there was absolutely no trace of the usual ' _Don't catch feelings for your partner_ ' look. Instead, they were both smiling, and not in a mocking way (another thing Jamie and Eddie were used to). They obviously noticed how much Jamie cared for Eddie, and they seemed almost accustomed to it. That was definitely something Jamie never thought he would see.

Eddie closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and seemed to lean into Jamie's hand. Jamie heard a faint chime from the direction of the kitchen, and Danny said, "It's time to go, kids. I'm gonna go warm up the car." Danny grabbed the bag containing Eddie's medicine and as he and Baez exited, Jamie felt the frigid air from outside blowing into the house and shivered.

Eddie turned her head and gave Jamie a nervous look. The hand that was holding her coffee cup was visibly shaking, and Jamie had his own hand out in preparation to catch it if she were to drop it. Luckily, she stood from the couch gracefully, her coffee in one hand and the second cinnamon roll in the other, switching the TV off in the process.

Jamie raised his eyebrows, his eyes on the cinnamon roll in Eddie's left hand. "You gonna take that with you?"

Eddie shot him a hell of a glare, but she almost looked like she was fighting a smile. "You're damn right I am, Reagan," she shot back, cocking one eyebrow at him as she set her things down to pull her coat on. The closer she got to the door, Jamie saw Eddie shiver as well. Before Jamie could say anything about anything, Eddie looked at him sardonically and said, "Let me guess… you're going to tell me to cover my mouth and keep my head down."

Jamie couldn't help but smile. Even in the absolute most dire, awful circumstances, Eddie's sharp wit remained and she could still make him smile like nobody else, even when she wasn't trying one little bit. "You know the drill," he said, squeezing her coat-clad shoulder. Before Eddie could pick up her food and coffee, Jamie grabbed it, somehow tucking them under his right arm and wrapping his left around Eddie's shoulders. "Let's do this."

Jamie walked forward, but Eddie slipped from under his arm and lingered back a bit. She looked like she was frozen in place. Jamie moved to stand in front of her and stared her dead in the face. "What's wrong? Are you alright?" He studied her face closely; she wasn't crying, but she looked upset. He couldn't figure out if she was worried or terrified or confused or all three.

Eddie shook her head, reaching a hand up to swipe the hair out of her face. "Nothing. I'm fine. Just have nerves about the appointment. Let's go."

Truthfully, Jamie was nervous, too, and he was trying with everything he had not to show it. The "what-if"s were swirling around his head like a tornado, and he was trying his best not to get wrapped up in them. What if Eddie's hematoma hadn't shrunk or, even worse, had grown? What if her constant coughing and wheezing were, in fact, due to pneumonia? What if she wasn't cleared for duty again?

Jamie somehow managed to pull himself out of his thoughts before he had a chance to spiral any further downward and before Eddie had a chance to pick up on his worry, for he knew it would just add to hers.

The blast of cold air that hit his face as he and Eddie stepped out took Jamie's breath away, and he instinctively pulled Eddie as close as he could. As they approached the car, Jamie was practically carrying her, and she let out a wheezing cough that shook her whole body as they slid into the backseat.

One cough turned into two, then three, and then into an entire coughing spell. Jamie pulled back to look at Eddie's face, and his blood ran cold — and not from the temperature outside — when he saw the chalky-white color of her face. In between coughs, her teeth were chattering, clanking together with a sickening clicking noise that made Jamie cringe.

What Eddie did next both surprised and worried Jamie. She let out another rattling cough and slumped onto his shoulder. Without a word, Jamie put Eddie's food and drink in the cupholder on the console and hauled Eddie into his side, his right arm around her and his left hand stroking the hair away from the soft, cold skin of her forehead.

"Danny, can you crank the heat up a little?" Jamie said softly but urgently to his brother, who immediately reached over a turned the heater up significantly. The strong stream of warmth that hit them was just right, and Eddie immediately relaxed against him, leaning into the touch of his fingers on her skin. "Do you want your coffee?"

Eddie didn't say anything but gave a slight nod instead, and Jamie was surprised and relieved when she reached up herself and grabbed her cup out of the cup holder. What hit him as Eddie sipped her coffee was the contrast between how she'd just been in the safe house — making innuendos that had nearly made him pass out — and the shivering, chattering, curled-up version of her that was snuggled back under his arm.

Luckily, Eddie was wide awake again — probably thanks to the coffee she was guzzling and the heat that seemed to be warming her sufficiently — when they pulled up in front of the front entrance of the address provided by Dr. Coleman when Eddie had last seen her, her private practice on 117th Street.

The order had been for Eddie to have a general exam done, and then she would be sent for x-rays and a CT scan, as well as blood work and a urinalysis. The scans would be read by a specialist and the results would be sent to Dr. Coleman, who would then clear Eddie or not. Jamie cringed when he thought about the possibility of her not being cleared. He knew she needed — or at least she thought she needed — to get back on the job, even if it was at another precinct, and he didn't know or want to know what she would do if she wasn't cleared to return to duty.

That train of thought was derailed — for now — when Jamie spotted Eddie's medicine bag on the center console between Danny and Baez's seats. He grabbed it and handed it to Eddie, who groaned in exasperation. He knew she was tired of the pain pills and the sleeping pills and the anti-anxiety pills and everything else, but sadly, he didn't see her being without them any time soon.

Eddie pulled her pills out one by one, and Jamie didn't miss how badly her hands were shaking as she uncapped and recapped the bottles. He could tell she was getting frustrated with her fumbling, shaky fingers, so he gently took the bag from her hands. "I've got it, honey," he murmured to her, so low that only the two of them could hear it, although he could feel Danny and Baez's eyes on them. These terms of endearment that kept slipping from Jamie's lips shocked him — and probably Eddie — every time.

Eddie's lower lip trembled as Jamie pulled out the remainder of her pills and placed them gently in her palm before zipping her bag up and placing it back on the console.

Handing Eddie an unopened bottle of water, Danny spoke for the first time, his voice low and as gentle as Jamie had ever heard it. "Here you go, Eddie. You alright?"

Eddie took the water from him with a shaky "thank you" and nodded in response to his question, even though you could tell by looking at her that she wasn't alright at all. But then again, it had been a while since she'd been alright. Lately, the definition of "alright" was "still breathing."

Jamie watched Eddie closely as she threw her head back and downed her pills in one gulp. She cringed at the taste and set the water bottle in the cup holder, taking a deep, wheezing breath. Jamie couldn't help but shoot her a concerned look as he opened the door, climbing out onto the curb before extending his hands out to Eddie. He now had a constant fear that Eddie was going to lose her balance and fall, so his hands were always out, hovering near her in preparation to catch her.

Eddie pulled her coat up over her mouth and grabbed Jamie's outstretched hands, holding onto them so hard her knuckles were as white as the snow that covered even the sidewalk.

When her feet hit the concrete, Jamie wrapped his arm around Eddie and pulled her as close to his side as he could. And together, they descended further into the frigid cold morning, their hearts pounding in their ears and fear sitting in their chests like boulders.

Both of them now knew well what it felt like to be full of complete, total dread, and a little bit of hope at the same time.

* * *

 **Brian**

For the first time in his life, Brian Yates prayed.

He was holed up in a tiny room in the disgusting, filthy motel that he had been to countless times, waiting on Damian to arrive. His wounds were bandaged and he wasn't bleeding badly anymore, but he knew that wouldn't last. He was, however, starving. He didn't even remember when he'd eaten last, or drank anything, for that matter.

But that wasn't all he was praying about. He wasn't just praying for decent wound care, or for food, or for water. Mostly, he was praying for Dal Cooper to die, and frankly, he was secretly praying he himself would die as well. He didn't know who he was even praying to, really; he hadn't been raised in a religious household (or raised, period). He prayed anyway.

The question, _How could you be so stupid_? was on a loop in Brian's head. He remembered vividly stabbing Dal and the gurgling that came after, and he had seen enough people die — usually by his hand — at this point to know that after stabbings or gunshots, people often made a haunting gurgling sound. They never survived.

But even still… he should have stayed. He should have stayed and watched Dal Cooper die, just to be sure, but it was far, far too late for that now. The whole situation had become a massive clusterfuck and what started out as Brian's obsession with Eddie Janko had now turned into… this. Now Eddie and Jamie had gotten away and were God-knows-where and everything was derailed.

Brian was growing desperate. More desperate than he had ever felt in his pointless life, and even he had no clue what that desperation was about to force him into. He needed medical attention. He needed food. He needed water.

He needed Eddie Janko and anybody who had helped keep him away from her dead. Shot. Hung. Stabbed. All three… He didn't care. He just wanted Eddie to pay for leaving him, and for everyone else to pay for their part in it. It was that simple.

Brian was seriously considering strangling himself to death with the phone cord in the motel room when Damian burst in the door, and the rage in his eyes even had the power to send chills down Brian's spine.

"Look, D, I-"

Brian didn't even get the chance to get the words out before Damian was in his face, his hand wrapped tightly around Brian's neck.

Briefly, as he felt his oxygen decreasing and felt the panic swell up inside him, Brian wondered if this fear was what Cara Thomas felt as she bled to death before his eyes. He wondered if this was what Eddie felt. He hoped it was. Damian was clearly high on something – likely meth – and the utter rage in his eyes was bone-chilling.

"You promised me that money, Bri," Damian growled, practically spitting in Brian's face. "You fucking **promised** me, and now you screwed up one of the biggest parts of all of it. Now I have to go clean up your mess." He roughly released his grip on Brian's neck, but he remained with their faces about half an inch apart. "What, exactly, do you think we're gonna do from here? Huh?" Damian let out a laugh that contained absolutely no humor and all the anger and madness in the world.

Brian struggled to take a deep breath. His arm was throbbing. "Get me medical supplies. A shit ton of them," Brian instructed breathlessly, his throat burning and his eyes watering. "You get me those supplies, I'll fix myself up, and I'll finish what you and I started."

Damian backed away from Brian with pure hatred in his eyes and began pacing the disgusting floor, his hands in his greasy hair and his signature combat boots thumping loudly against the carpet. He said nothing, which was just as ominous as him making threats. Maybe even more so.

Truthfully, as Damian paced and glared and stomped, it was becoming more and more obvious that Damian was becoming more of a problem than a solution. Brian was scared that Damian was going to jeopardize everything more than Brian himself already had, and they couldn't afford that.

Everything had already been derailed too many times, and now Damian's behavior was about to be the final straw before everything came to a screeching, crashing halt.

Now, Brian had to figure out a way to stop the train crash while still accomplishing his goal, even if it meant getting rid of Damian in the process.

* * *

 **Eddie**

Like always, Eddie expected the worst going into Dr. Coleman's office. Her chest hurt, her throat was burning from all the brutal coughing, and her shoulder was smarting every once in a while, but she was the most worried about her head. If the hematoma was even still present, no matter how much it had shrunk, she wouldn't be cleared for duty.

But for once, things went better than expected. Things started to go right, for the first time in God knows how long.

There was bad news mixed in with the good news, but it wasn't nearly the disaster that they expected. By the time all of the tests were over, Eddie was about to scream and she was pretty sure Jamie was sick and fucking tired of watching her be stuck with needles and have her wrist turned at a painful angle to have it x-rayed. Truthfully, though, they were both sick and tired of pretty much everything.

The results took what felt like days but, in reality, only amounted to an hour and a half. When Eddie was back on the exam table, her leg was shaking and she was chewing her lip and Jamie rested his hand on her leg, stilling it. His thumb was still stroking her kneecap when Dr. Coleman entered the room, her face frustratingly difficult to read.

"Well, Eddie, you've made one hell of a recovery."

* * *

 **Author's note: I promise next chapter will have more Jamko and less medical things, but this stuff has to be put in or else it's not accurate. Please review! Thank you for reading! SEND PROMPTS.**


	25. HELP PlEASE!

Hey, guys! I'm so sorry this isn't an update. I wish it were. I DO have most of the next chapter written, so that will be up soon. But first, I wanted to ask you guys something and I NEED your answers because you guys are my readers (and my friends), and you're everything to this story, and to me.

*IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FINALE YET, DO NOT KEEP READING! SPOILERS BELOW!*

You may have read my story _Make A Start_ , but if not, basically what it is is what **I** think happened and the _way_ I think it happened in those days between the shooting and Jamko confessions and the dinner in the season 8 finale.

BUT… What if I were to extend it into a whole entire story? What if I were to just keep writing how I would like things to go and just make my own little version of everything (moving in together, etc.)? I would still finish _No Safe Place_ , of course, but seeing as I was going to have Jamie and Eddie get married in the sequel, it just seems like the sequel would be awfully similar to this story I'm thinking about extending.

So here's what I want to know. Would you guys rather have a NSP sequel and leave MAS the way it is? Just a 3-parter? The two would end up being really similar probably. **OR** would you guys rather me extend MAS and have everything go the way I think a lot of us want it to go after that season 8 finale?

But you have one more option. I **COULD** do both. I could write the NSP sequel, which I suppose would be more based off of "fantasy" since the storyline was totally made up and had almost zero elements of anything currently going on in the show, and then I could extend MAS into a full-length story that would definitely be a lot more accurate and up-to-date with season 8. I could definitely do both.

So please, leave a review with your opinion, or if you don't want it to be public, shoot me a DM. I HAVE to have you guys' opinions and wishes to know which one to do because you guys are who this is all for. Thank you in advance!

The next chapters of NSP and MAS are both on their way!


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